Denison Church of the Nazarene

February 21st, 2010

Today’s scripture focus – Acts 5:12-42

In order to fully understand Acts, we must understand the early believers were convinced that Jesus’ return was eminent. It was their mission to prepare the people of Israel. We see in the earliest days of the church a single minded devotion to that mission. In the last chapter, Peter and John had been sternly warned to cease speaking in the name of Jesus by the Sanhedrin, the established religious authority. Because of the urgency of their mission, the believers prayed for boldness in the face of opposition. God gave them this boldness, and chapter five finds them back in the Temple, speaking in Jesus’ name with supernatural power.

The religious authorities (the priesthood and Sanhedrin) were the ultimate, unquestioned authority in all matters of life and faith, and to defy them was perilous. They were not used to being disobeyed. Yet, they had to act cautiously against the disciples, for their miraculous power could not be denied. They tried warning the disciples. When that didn’t work, they put the disciples in jail. When that didn’t work, they had them flogged. Still, the believers spoke the full message of salvation even more boldly, with the result that more people came to believe in the name of Jesus.

Alice Thompson lived with her parents in rural southern Illinois. Besides a house and a tool shed, the other building on their small acreage was a chicken coop where the egg-laying hens roosted. When young Alice found some matches, she took them into the chicken coop to see if she could figure out how to strike one. She did figure it out, and held the burning wooden matchstick until it got too hot, then dropped it. Instead of burning out, the bit of flame fell on a piece of straw, which came alive with fire. Determined that no one know about the matches, Alice covered up the flame with readily available material — a handful of straw For a minute, it seemed to work, but then the pile began to smolder. She decided to smother the whole thing, so she scooped up a full armload of straw to bury the evidence once and for all. Satisfied that she had finally taken care of the matter, she ran out into the yard to play. Soon the chicken coop had burned to the ground (1.)

The religious authorities thought they could cover up Jesus by putting Him in a tomb. These same authorities tried to cover up the message of His disciples. Throughout history and on into our present day people, powers, governments, and systems have tried to stamp out the name of Jesus. Yet, the more it is oppressed, the further it spreads. Speaking the name of Jesus in boldness always results in two things – opposition, and revival.

1. http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=2185

CrossGroups

• Go around the table and share prayer requests. Have someone lead in prayer.

• Let everyone who would like share anything exciting from their week.

• Ask these three questions. Let as many answer each one as would like.

1) Is there anything in today’s scripture that especially speaks to you?

2) What questions would you like to ask about today’s scripture?

3) What would it look like in our (nation, town, church, family) to obey God rather than people?

Scripture Focus: Acts 3:1-19

Today’s scripture focus builds on Acts 2:43 – “Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.” Chapters 3-4 serve as a “for example” of this verse. The full story is told in chapters 3 and 4, and can be divided into four sections: 1) the healing of the paralyzed man, 2) Peter’s sermon to the crowd, 3) Peter and John’s arrest and trial, and 4) the believer’s empowerment to continue their mission. A better example of Acts 2:43 could hardly be given. This event possibly took place several months after Pentecost, during the Feast of Tabernacles. The Beautiful Gate was probably used to bring in ripe produce offerings (”beautiful” can also be translated “ripe”.) We see the believers continued to observed Temple worship, as the followers of Rabbi Jesus were still a small sect of Judaism. Notice it was not the faith of the paralyzed man that healed him, but the faith of Peter and John in Jesus. Paralytics were forbidden from entering the inner courts of the Temple, so we can imagine the joy of a man who is allowed to worship for the first time in forty years. His actions (walking, leaping, praising God) are consistent with the worship liturgy of Tabernacles, in which pilgrims danced around the altar following afternoon prayers.

It is said that Thomas Aquinas once called on Pope Innocent II when the latter was counting out a large sum of money. “You see, Thomas,” said the Pope, “the church can no longer say, ‘Silver and gold have I none.’” “True, holy father,” was the reply; “neither can she now say, ‘Rise and walk.’” Paralysis is the inability to move, and can come in many forms. As we take a cross view of the culture around us, we see a world filled with people paralyzed by fear, pride, lust, addiction, wealth or poverty, comfort or affliction. The world knows it is paralyzed, but it does not understand that its only hope is in following Jesus. For too long, Christians have tried to reach the world by offering them the “silver and gold” that crippled it in the first place. As disciples of Jesus, it is our job to take our culture by the hand and lift it up through faith in Jesus.

A crowd was now gathered around, and Peter took the opportunity to preach. He told the crowd they shouldn’t be amazed at what had happened, nor should he be given any credit. It was God who had given this sign. We must remember that the disciples believed that Jesus’ return, which would usher in the messianic kingdom (referred to as “the day of the Lord” or “that day”) was eminent. Any miracles that took place should serve as signs of “that day”. Isaiah had prophesied that in “that day”, the blind would see and the lame would leap! Peter warned the crowd they had murdered God’s messiah, but they had acted in ignorance and actually fulfilled God’s plan. In order to prepare for and usher in the day of the Lord, they must repent. Only then would God raise up Israel as He had done with the paralyzed man.

Like that crowd long ago, we gather together on a regular basis to worship. It seems we don’t expect much to happen. How refreshing it is when God breaks through, often when we least expect it! When God does the extraordinary in our lives, our community takes notice. Then, their hearts are prepared to hear God’s hard truth – we are sinners who must repent! By hearing and accepting that truth, we can prepare for days of refreshing from the Lord. The recipe for revival in this passage are witnessing God’s miracles and accepting God’s truth.

CrossGroups

* Go around the table and share prayer requests. Have someone lead in prayer.

* Let everyone who would like share anything exciting from their week.

* Ask these three questions. Let as many answer each one as would like.

1. Is there anything in today’s scripture that especially speaks to you?

2. What questions would you like to ask about today’s scripture?

3. Do we see miracles today? If so, what are they?

Scripture Focus:  Acts 2:1-21, 40-41

Today’s scripture focus is about the sending of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. In last week’s story, Jesus had told the disciples not to leave Jerusalem until this promise was fulfilled. About 120 of them spent the next ten days in constant prayer together. We don’t exactly where they were during this time. Possibilities include the room they had rented for the Passover meal (the Last Supper), the home of Mark’s mother (where Peter later went after escaping prison), a synagogue, or a room in the Temple itself. Great crowds had gathered in Jerusalem for Pentecost, one of the three major feasts of the Jewish people, which took place fifty days after Passover. Pentecost celebrated the giving of the Law to Moses. There could not have been a more perfect time of place for the message of the good news to be revealed to people from “every nation under heaven.”

We’ve been talking about the recipe for revival. A revival is a special movement of God that brings the church into complete focus on our mission of spreading the good news. Many wonder why we don’t see revival very often in our day. When we look at the events that preceded the sending of the Holy Spirit in today’s scripture, we must ask ourselves if we have met the requirements. Have we obeyed Jesus commands? Have we prayed? Have we remained together? If we can honestly answer “yes”, then we must leave the rest up to God’s perfect placement and timing. When it seems like God is not moving, we can be assured that He’s preparing us for something big!

Once again we find God doing three things. There was a sound like a mighty wind, a sight like flames of fire over each of their heads, and speaking in foreign tongues. Scripture records two reactions from the crowd of God fearing Jews who had gathered in Jerusalem for the feast – bewilderment and mocking. Peter stood up under the power of the Holy Spirit, and his sermon greatly affected the crowd, for 3000 of them responded to the good news and were baptized. The chapter closes by describing the program of the early church – daily meeting together, both publicly and privately for worship, fellowship, and prayer.

We often read Acts 2 and wonder why God doesn’t move that way in our time. Today, 3000 people in China will become Christians. They have a “Pentecost” every day! Without formal recognition by the state, their program is very simple – they meet together in their homes for teaching, sharing of food, and prayer. God is still moving mightily among our generation today, in Asia, Africa, South America, and even in parts of Europe. His desire has always been and continues to be to pour out His Spirit on His children.

CrossGroup Discussion Questions

1. What’s the most exciting thing that happened in your life last week?

2. What part of the ten day waiting period do you think was the hardest for the disciples? Why?

3. Is there any part of this scripture that jumps out at you?

4. Is there any part about which you have questions?

5. What do you think it would take to see 3000 people a day come to Christ in America?