Behind The Message EP8 - Acts

September 21, 2020

 

On this week’s Behind The Message, Pastor Daniel & Jennifer continue the discussion from this past weekend’s message on Acts focusing in particular on Jesus’ final command to His disciples to GO and be witnesses sharing about His life, death, and resurrection. They discuss the Holy Spirit and the power to witness that is given to the believer through Him. Also, missionaries Tommy & Marcia Hopson are special guests and join the conversation by sharing about God’s direction to them to go and live in another country as witnesses for Jesus.

 

Big Truth
Because Jesus Is Alive, We Go
and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things.

Luke 24:46-48

 

Big Ideas
We Go In The Holy Spirit’s Power And Presence
We Go As Witnesses
We Go To Our Neighbors And The Nations
We Go Proclaiming Repentance And Faith
We Go In The Confidence Of Jesus’ Return
We Go In Persistent Prayer
We Go In Joyful Worship

 

Discussion
Lead Group Members to discuss the following…

What Got You? Ask your group members to each share a takeaway from the weekend’s sermon or from the BTM video that got them thinking or doing.

 

Jennifer’s “what got you” from the recording was when Pastor Paul asked, “where (physically) has God placed you that you do not need to leave?” She shared that her answer to this question is to have the perspective that her current Covid circumstances are a gift to leverage rather than an inconvenience to escape. Read Romans 5:1-5.

• What do these verses say will be produced within us if we will hold this perspective of seeing our sufferings as a gift and something in which to rejoice?
• How are we enabled to endure and have these fruits produced in us?

Talk about Pastor Paul’s Big Idea from the sermon “We Go As Witnesses.” Discuss the implications of being a witness for Christ who is to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

• What is the whole truth of the Gospel?
• Which part of the Gospel is hardest for you to share? Why?

 

Read Acts 1:14. How are the disciples described? What are they doing? Discuss the correlation between being devoted to prayer and being of one accord.

 

In the recording, Tommy and Marcia Hopson talked about how God refined and defined His direction for them to go to Uganda. They shared that the course of time was over a six year span. Talk about the ways God directed and confirmed His direction to them.

 

Just like Tommy & Marcia, we as believers are all called to GO as witnesses because Jesus is Alive. Going as witnesses is a direct command from Jesus, not merely a suggestion or a good thing to do. Consider your current witness for Jesus and determine what is your next step. Share that next step with your Discussion Group. Maybe your next step is to…

• Walk across the street and share the Gospel with your neighbor
• Say yes to a short term trip
• Commit to memory the whole truth of the Gospel so you are equipped to share when the opportunity arises
• Join in a Life Group where brothers and sisters will call you to be accountable to share the Gospel
• Devote yourself to praying for the lost