Acts 1:1-11
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This is the first week in our series on Acts and the Early Church. This sermon is called "Followed a Crucified King"
Questions and going deeper resources
Small group questions
Connect How could you be more vulnerable with God so that you might grow in your experience and expression of his (vulnerable, unmerited, and sacrificial) love?
Warm-Up
- Do you think most Australians would consider Christians weird or distinctive in any way?
- In what ways do you think Christians should be distinctive from our culture? Does that mean we should remove ourselves from our culture completely?
Read Acts 1:1-9
- What has happened prior to the beginning of Acts? (Clue: look how the Gospel of Luke concluded.)
- What was the Alexamenos graffiti? Why did it seem so strange that someone would worship a crucified king? Why do you think the first Christians were so compelling?
- If the Gospel of Luke is about the life and ministry of Jesus, where does Acts (in a way, the second volume of Luke) find its focus? Why did Luke think it important for us to know about the first Christians?
- Why were people so convinced that Jesus had been raised from the dead? Why should we?
- What does Jesus command the disciples not to do? What promise were they waiting to be fulfilled?
- What was the question that the disciples asked in verse 6? What was their hope?
- In what way were the first Christians (e.g., message, method, and the men/disciples) characterised by weakness? (cf. Acts 2:36)? If they were weak, what was the power that enabled them?
- Do you think we share any of the weaknesses of the first disciples? Do we share the same power?
- What was the last conversation you had with someone about Jesus (or Christianity) who was not yet a believer? Do you think they were surprised by anything that you said?
- What are unhelpful ways that Christians can ‘stand out’ in our culture today? How would you love to be distinctive—as a Christian—on your frontlines?
Read Acts 1:10-11
- What was the message that the disciples proclaimed? How far did it reach?
- Do we proclaim the same message? How do we proclaim it? By what power do we proclaim it?
- How do you think you are part of God’s mission? What is your greatest hope in following Jesus?
- Give thanks for those who have proclaimed the Good News of Jesus faithfully over the centuries, pray also that we may be faithful in continuing this task.
Apply On one of your frontlines, what is one way that you can be helpfully distinctive in order to demonstrate how your life has been transformed by the Gospel?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you that Jesus is the crucified and risen King! Help us to confess with our hearts and declare with our lips this glorious news. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Going deeper resources
On Your Frontline this Week
What are you giving your attention to actively at the moment? How is it shaping you?ß
For Families
- Download: some of the family resources to use at home: stbartskids.org
Listen, Watch, and Read
- Listen (sermon): “Acts 1” by Vaughan Roberts:
https://stebbes.org/sermons/acts-1/#sermons - Listen (sermon): “Truth and Power” by Tim Keller:
https://gospelinlife.com/sermon/truth-and-power/ - Listen (sermon): “You shall be my witnesses” by John Stott:
https://www.allsouls.org/Media/AllMedia.aspx?show_media=221833&show_file=235255
Series Resources
- Read (book): “Strange Religion” by Nijay Gupta. 📚
- Read (commentary): “The Challenge of Acts” by Tom Wright. 📚
- Read (book): “Why the Gospel” by Matthew Bates.
- Read (advanced commentary): “Acts: Witnesses to Him” by Bruce Milne.
📚 Available to borrow in the Church library
