Know: Recognize the importance of the right response to the gospel call.
Feel: Nurture a new relationship with God and the community of faith.
Do: Resolve to live and share his or her faith.
Learning Outline:
Know: Basic Responses
What are some of the negative and positive responses expected from new believers?
How does one reject the negative and affirm the positive responses?
Feel: Nurturing New Relationships
How did the early church nurture new relationships?
What factors strengthen/weaken community relationships?
How does sacrificial giving help in the gospel proclamation and community building?
Do: Advancing the Cause While Facing Adversity
How did the early church face adversity, even as it advanced in church growth?
How do we react to various personalities in the early church: Barnabas, Paul, Ananias and Sapphira?
Summary: The church is engaged not only in the advancement of the gospel commission but also in overcoming Satan’s attempts to thwart the church’s mission.
Learning Cycle
Step 1—Motivate
Spotlight on Scripture: Acts 2:41-47
Key Concept for Spiritual Growth: The outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost brought about two great miracles among the disciples (Acts 2:40-47). First, they saw the universal nature of the gospel: Jesus is the Savior not just to “you and to your children” (that is, to Jews only), but “to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call” (Acts 2:39, NKJV). Second, the disciples learned that church growth depends not on what humans can achieve but on what the Spirit can accomplish through study of the Word, through the fostering of spiritual fellowship, and through living a life of faith and witness.
Just for Teachers: To be baptized in the name of Jesus and to receive the Holy Spirit are just the first steps in becoming members of God’s family. After those initial steps, church members have several experiences to walk through: steadfastness in doctrine, growth in fellowship, “breaking of bread,” personal and public prayer life, house-to-house visitation, simplicity of life, and church growth (see Acts 2:42-47). Discuss the importance of such a wholistic church life.
Discussion: “Under the training of Christ the disciples had been led to feel their need of the Spirit. Under the Spirit’s teaching they received the final qualification, and went forth to their lifework.”—Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, p. 45. Note in this quotation two phrases: “under . . . Christ” and “under the Spirit.” What do these phrases mean to you?
Step 2—Explore
Just for Teachers: What is the church? Is it that imposing building at the corner of Main Street and Market Avenue? Is it a club of like-minded people getting together to promote common interests and welfare? Is it a center for the prevention of cruelty to human beings? Is it a meetinghouse where people meet for worship, study, and prayer each Sabbath? Is it a charitable society to care for the needy, the sick, and the hungry? While there may be something in such statements, consider the following: “Enfeebled and defective as it may appear, the church is the one object upon which God bestows in a special sense His supreme regard. It is the theater of His grace, in which He delights to reveal His power to transform hearts.”—Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, p. 12.
This week’s lesson points to three factors about the church: a fellowship of the saved; a living and Cross-centered body of believers; and a church body of wonder, unity, and troubles.
Bible Commentary
I. The Church: Fellowship of the Saved (Review Acts 2:42-45; 4:34, 35 with the class.)
“Be saved” (Acts 2:40, NKJV). That was Peter’s final appeal of his Pentecostal sermon. What did Peter mean by this plea? He himself provided the answer: “Be saved from this perverse generation” (NKJV). To be saved is a two-fold experience. First, it is a rejection of, and escape from, the perversities of life. It is to repent of sin and reject all its allurements. Second, to be saved means to belong wholly and unreservedly to the One who saves—Jesus. Where there is a conscientious and continual rejection of sin and total acceptance of the call of Jesus, salvation becomes a reality. Those who are thus saved constitute the church, the body of Christ. Salvation precedes church membership.
The New Testament uses the word “church” to translate the Greek word ekklesia, which literally means “called out.” Most frequently, “the church” is used to describe those who are called out from sin to righteousness, from self-centeredness to Christ-centeredness, from the fading things of this world to the unshakable realities of the home above. The “called” ones believe in Jesus as the Son of God, accept Him as their Savior and Lord, and come together to study His Word, to worship Him as their Lord, and to share His message with those who do not know Him. Faith, fellowship, study, worship, and witness are some of the essential marks of the church. With that in view, Jesus made His promise: “ ‘I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it’ ” (Matt. 16:18, NKJV).
Consider This: “Those who at Pentecost were endued with power from on high, were not thereby freed from further temptation and trial.”—Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, p. 49. To belong to the church is not a guarantee that one shall continue to be in Christ or live a life free from sorrow and suffering. What, then, should we do to remain unshakeable members of the body of Christ, despite adversity and temptation?
II. The Church: A Living and Cross-centered Body (Review Acts 3, 4:1-31 with the class.)
A living church is a growing church. At Pentecost 3,000 people from some 15 linguistic regions of the world (Acts 2:9-11, 41) accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior and were filled with the Spirit. Thus began the church, and “the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47, NKJV). From that time on, a new element entered human history, challenging the religious and philosophic systems of the world, and letting the world know “assuredly that God has made this Jesus, [who was] . . . crucified, both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36, NKJV). Because of that crucified One, all humanity will be called to account as to how they relate to Jesus: accept Him as their Savior and enter into everlasting life; or reject Him and ignore Him as though He does not matter, and face the consequence of eternal death. The Cross thus becomes the great divider between eternal life and eternal death. Those who choose to be identified with the Lord of the Cross become the body of the living Christ.
Consider This: “Every Christian saw in his brother a revelation of divine love and benevolence. . . . The ambition of the believers was to reveal the likeness of Christ’s character and to labor for the enlargement of His kingdom.”—Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, p. 48. We, as Christians, must emulate this experience of the early believers. How do we do that?
III. The Church: A Body of Wonders, Community, and Problems (Review Acts 3; 4; 5:1-11 with the class.)
The divine initiative and the human participants in the composition of the church make it a body marked by wonder, community, and trouble.
First, observe the wonder of growth: “The Lord added to the church daily” (Acts 2:47). The mathematics of the early church growth is staggering: 12, 120, 3,000, other daily additions, 5,000 (Acts 4:4), and before the century was over, the whole world had become the parish of faith and the target for evangelism. The wonder moves further, as the gospel is preached into all the world, bringing personal freedom to a man lame from birth. Here was a case of supreme wretchedness. This man was physically burdened, socially scorned, and condemned to beg for coin or a piece of bread from the temple goers. But suddenly he finds a glimmer of hope in what Peter had to say: “ ‘Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: . . . the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth’ ” (Acts 3:6, NKJV). In that Name, the apostle commanded the lame man to “ ‘rise up and walk’ ” (Acts 3:6, NKJV), and instantly the unseen resurrection power of Jesus made life in all its fullness flow through the dead nerves and tissues of the lame man and set him “walking, leaping, and praising God” (Acts 3:8, NKJV). Jesus continues to remain the resource of redemption, renewal, and revitalization.
Second, observe the fellowship of unity in the early church, as well as the tragedy that afflicted it. The church experienced oneness not only “in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers” (Acts 2:42, NKJV), but also in the community of fellowship (Acts 4:34, 35). Loving God and living with fellow believers in shared faith and means became the open symbol of joyful fellowship: “All who believed were together, and had all things in common” (Acts 2:44, NKJV). Hence, Barnabas, who “having land, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet” (Acts 4:36, 37, NKJV), set a prime example of what it means to live the shared life of Christian communion. Barnabas (Acts 4:36) experienced Jesus fully. His gratitude was total and unreserved, His character was clear and clean, His life was transformed and transparent. He knew Jesus, and Jesus knew him. He became the force behind the powerful church of Antioch and behind the making of Paul (Acts 9:27; 11:25, 26). But within the church also lay the seeds of tragedy: while the church is the abode of the faithful, it also has the element of the self-centered. While Christian journey embraces the grace and goodness of Barnabas, it also contains the avarice and pretension of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11). The truthfulness of Christian community is constantly challenged by the ease with which counterfeit claims and pseudo-experiences can compete for abode.
Consider This: We are given the parables of the wheat and the tares, the goat and the sheep (Matt. 13:24-30, 25:31-46), regarding the faithful and unfaithful dwelling within the church. How do we differentiate between the two groups?
Step 3—APPLY
Just for Teachers: “Follow the light you have. Set your heart to obey what you do know of the word of God. His power, His very life, dwells in His word. . . . You are building on God’s word, and your character will be builded after the similitude of the character of Christ.”—Ellen G. White, Thoughts From the Mount of Blessings, p. 150.
Thought/Application Questions:
What does it mean to be a Christian? How does this affect becoming and being a faithful church member?
How does our relationship with the Word of God affect our life within the church?
Step 4—Create
Just for Teachers: Consider the differences in character between Barnabas and Ananias and Sapphira. Discuss the following:
Assuming all three individuals were exposed to the truth in the same degree, why did they bear different fruits in life?
How can the best of intentions turn into spiritual disasters?
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Key Texts: Acts 2:41-47, 4:32-37, 5:1-11
The Student Will:
Learning Outline:
Know: Basic Responses
Feel: Nurturing New Relationships
Do: Advancing the Cause While Facing Adversity
Summary: The church is engaged not only in the advancement of the gospel commission but also in overcoming Satan’s attempts to thwart the church’s mission.
Learning Cycle
Step 1—Motivate
Spotlight on Scripture: Acts 2:41-47
Key Concept for Spiritual Growth: The outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost brought about two great miracles among the disciples (Acts 2:40-47). First, they saw the universal nature of the gospel: Jesus is the Savior not just to “you and to your children” (that is, to Jews only), but “to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call” (Acts 2:39, NKJV). Second, the disciples learned that church growth depends not on what humans can achieve but on what the Spirit can accomplish through study of the Word, through the fostering of spiritual fellowship, and through living a life of faith and witness.
Just for Teachers: To be baptized in the name of Jesus and to receive the Holy Spirit are just the first steps in becoming members of God’s family. After those initial steps, church members have several experiences to walk through: steadfastness in doctrine, growth in fellowship, “breaking of bread,” personal and public prayer life, house-to-house visitation, simplicity of life, and church growth (see Acts 2:42-47). Discuss the importance of such a wholistic church life.
Discussion: “Under the training of Christ the disciples had been led to feel their need of the Spirit. Under the Spirit’s teaching they received the final qualification, and went forth to their lifework.”—Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, p. 45. Note in this quotation two phrases: “under . . . Christ” and “under the Spirit.” What do these phrases mean to you?
Step 2—Explore
Just for Teachers: What is the church? Is it that imposing building at the corner of Main Street and Market Avenue? Is it a club of like-minded people getting together to promote common interests and welfare? Is it a center for the prevention of cruelty to human beings? Is it a meetinghouse where people meet for worship, study, and prayer each Sabbath? Is it a charitable society to care for the needy, the sick, and the hungry? While there may be something in such statements, consider the following: “Enfeebled and defective as it may appear, the church is the one object upon which God bestows in a special sense His supreme regard. It is the theater of His grace, in which He delights to reveal His power to transform hearts.”—Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, p. 12.
This week’s lesson points to three factors about the church: a fellowship of the saved; a living and Cross-centered body of believers; and a church body of wonder, unity, and troubles.
Bible Commentary
I. The Church: Fellowship of the Saved (Review Acts 2:42-45; 4:34, 35 with the class.)
“Be saved” (Acts 2:40, NKJV). That was Peter’s final appeal of his Pentecostal sermon. What did Peter mean by this plea? He himself provided the answer: “Be saved from this perverse generation” (NKJV). To be saved is a two-fold experience. First, it is a rejection of, and escape from, the perversities of life. It is to repent of sin and reject all its allurements. Second, to be saved means to belong wholly and unreservedly to the One who saves—Jesus. Where there is a conscientious and continual rejection of sin and total acceptance of the call of Jesus, salvation becomes a reality. Those who are thus saved constitute the church, the body of Christ. Salvation precedes church membership.
The New Testament uses the word “church” to translate the Greek word ekklesia, which literally means “called out.” Most frequently, “the church” is used to describe those who are called out from sin to righteousness, from self-centeredness to Christ-centeredness, from the fading things of this world to the unshakable realities of the home above. The “called” ones believe in Jesus as the Son of God, accept Him as their Savior and Lord, and come together to study His Word, to worship Him as their Lord, and to share His message with those who do not know Him. Faith, fellowship, study, worship, and witness are some of the essential marks of the church. With that in view, Jesus made His promise: “ ‘I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it’ ” (Matt. 16:18, NKJV).
Consider This: “Those who at Pentecost were endued with power from on high, were not thereby freed from further temptation and trial.”—Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, p. 49. To belong to the church is not a guarantee that one shall continue to be in Christ or live a life free from sorrow and suffering. What, then, should we do to remain unshakeable members of the body of Christ, despite adversity and temptation?
II. The Church: A Living and Cross-centered Body (Review Acts 3, 4:1-31 with the class.)
A living church is a growing church. At Pentecost 3,000 people from some 15 linguistic regions of the world (Acts 2:9-11, 41) accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior and were filled with the Spirit. Thus began the church, and “the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47, NKJV). From that time on, a new element entered human history, challenging the religious and philosophic systems of the world, and letting the world know “assuredly that God has made this Jesus, [who was] . . . crucified, both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36, NKJV). Because of that crucified One, all humanity will be called to account as to how they relate to Jesus: accept Him as their Savior and enter into everlasting life; or reject Him and ignore Him as though He does not matter, and face the consequence of eternal death. The Cross thus becomes the great divider between eternal life and eternal death. Those who choose to be identified with the Lord of the Cross become the body of the living Christ.
Consider This: “Every Christian saw in his brother a revelation of divine love and benevolence. . . . The ambition of the believers was to reveal the likeness of Christ’s character and to labor for the enlargement of His kingdom.”—Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, p. 48. We, as Christians, must emulate this experience of the early believers. How do we do that?
III. The Church: A Body of Wonders, Community, and Problems (Review Acts 3; 4; 5:1-11 with the class.)
The divine initiative and the human participants in the composition of the church make it a body marked by wonder, community, and trouble.
First, observe the wonder of growth: “The Lord added to the church daily” (Acts 2:47). The mathematics of the early church growth is staggering: 12, 120, 3,000, other daily additions, 5,000 (Acts 4:4), and before the century was over, the whole world had become the parish of faith and the target for evangelism. The wonder moves further, as the gospel is preached into all the world, bringing personal freedom to a man lame from birth. Here was a case of supreme wretchedness. This man was physically burdened, socially scorned, and condemned to beg for coin or a piece of bread from the temple goers. But suddenly he finds a glimmer of hope in what Peter had to say: “ ‘Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: . . . the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth’ ” (Acts 3:6, NKJV). In that Name, the apostle commanded the lame man to “ ‘rise up and walk’ ” (Acts 3:6, NKJV), and instantly the unseen resurrection power of Jesus made life in all its fullness flow through the dead nerves and tissues of the lame man and set him “walking, leaping, and praising God” (Acts 3:8, NKJV). Jesus continues to remain the resource of redemption, renewal, and revitalization.
Second, observe the fellowship of unity in the early church, as well as the tragedy that afflicted it. The church experienced oneness not only “in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers” (Acts 2:42, NKJV), but also in the community of fellowship (Acts 4:34, 35). Loving God and living with fellow believers in shared faith and means became the open symbol of joyful fellowship: “All who believed were together, and had all things in common” (Acts 2:44, NKJV). Hence, Barnabas, who “having land, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet” (Acts 4:36, 37, NKJV), set a prime example of what it means to live the shared life of Christian communion. Barnabas (Acts 4:36) experienced Jesus fully. His gratitude was total and unreserved, His character was clear and clean, His life was transformed and transparent. He knew Jesus, and Jesus knew him. He became the force behind the powerful church of Antioch and behind the making of Paul (Acts 9:27; 11:25, 26). But within the church also lay the seeds of tragedy: while the church is the abode of the faithful, it also has the element of the self-centered. While Christian journey embraces the grace and goodness of Barnabas, it also contains the avarice and pretension of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11). The truthfulness of Christian community is constantly challenged by the ease with which counterfeit claims and pseudo-experiences can compete for abode.
Consider This: We are given the parables of the wheat and the tares, the goat and the sheep (Matt. 13:24-30, 25:31-46), regarding the faithful and unfaithful dwelling within the church. How do we differentiate between the two groups?
Step 3—APPLY
Just for Teachers: “Follow the light you have. Set your heart to obey what you do know of the word of God. His power, His very life, dwells in His word. . . . You are building on God’s word, and your character will be builded after the similitude of the character of Christ.”—Ellen G. White, Thoughts From the Mount of Blessings, p. 150.
Thought/Application Questions:
Step 4—Create
Just for Teachers: Consider the differences in character between Barnabas and Ananias and Sapphira. Discuss the following: