Acts
Week 4 - Share Together (October 3-9)
Scripture: 4:32-35
Background: Let’s take a moment and imagine the immense logistical challenges that the early church would be facing in its infancy:
Change in Leadership: Jesus had died, resurrected and ascended. Now his closest disciples are in charge.
Persecution: Jesus’s crucifixion was a recent memory, not ancient history. Not only that, but some apostles had already been arrested and threatened by the same folks that killed Jesus.
Exponential Growth: The Church went from 120 believers to over 3,000 in one day on Pentecost (Acts 2:41). Then by Acts 4:4 there were about 5,000 men (not including women and children). Many of these new believers were out of towners who had heard the Gospel while visiting Jerusalem, but were now staying in Jerusalem full time with the rest of the believers and meeting daily in the temple together.
From a human perspective, this all would undoubtedly cause immense chaos and conflict. However, this week we will take a look at how God’s abundant grace worked in these new believers to overcome many of these challenges and to provide a powerful witness that this new movement was truly from God.
Read: Acts 4:32-37
Insights:
Acts 4:34b: Great Grace = charis te megale (Greek)
large, great, in the widest sense
also translated as “abundant”
Questions:
Last week’s challenge was to spend time in worship and prayer with other believers and to see how the Holy Spirit might embolden us to speak God’s word. What was it like spending more time than normal with other believers in worship and prayer? Did anyone feel more confident sharing God’s word this past week? Any stories to report to the group?
Acts 4:32 states that, “All the believers were one in heart and mind.” How do you think that this state of unity was accomplished?
Take a moment and truly imagine living our lives in such an abundant grace of unity and generosity, where none of us would claim their possessions as their own and where we all shared everything we had. What thoughts and feelings come up as you imagine living that way? Why? What kind of openness and honest communication would need to exist for something like this to even be possible?
Do a quick search of the New Testament for scriptures that talk about Christians giving/sharing with those in need. Read a few of these scriptures and discuss the principles and insights that they teach us about sharing.
CHALLENGE: Spend time this week searching your heart and seeking God in prayer asking Him how He may want to meet a need that you may have through the love, generosity and faith of another believer. Also, pray and look for a need in your small group, church, family, etc. where God can use what He’s given you to meet that need. Let’s be gracious receivers and cheerful givers this week and see what God does!