Group Guide

January 28th, 2024

This Week's City 7:

4. Can a person be good enough to go to heaven? No. Because Jesus rose from the dead proving He is God, I believe a person is saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
(John 1:12, 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 4:1-25, 5:1-2, 6-11, 6:23, 10:1-4, 10:9; Galatians 3:26; Ephesians 2:1-9; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; Titus 3:4-7)

Ice-Breaker:

What is the best movie sequel of all time? The Worst?

Discussion Questions:

Have someone read Acts 1:1-11 aloud.

Clayton opened up on Sunday by talking about Luke. He was a physician that was hired to investigate the story of Jesus. He set out to find the truth, interviewing eye-witnesses and reporting his findings. How would it affect your perspective if you were to read the book of Acts with this in mind, that it's really a piece of ancient investigative journalism instead of just reading a "book of the Bible?"
In the first few verses of Acts 1 we learn that, following his resurrection from the dead, Jesus spent the next 40 days appearing to his apostles and teaching them. It says that he had to prove to them that he was actually alive. This means they were skeptical at first and wanted to see him with their own eyes and touch him with their own hands! They were eventually convinced, and many of these same men would go to their deaths claiming they saw him alive. This is one of the greatest pieces of historical evidence for Jesus' resurrection. The apostles didn't simply take it on blind faith, and we don't have to either! What does it do to your faith to know that you are making a decision to believe based on reasonable, historical evidence of the resurrection, not just choosing to believe a story someone told you once?
In verse 6, after Jesus had been telling them to wait in Jerusalem until God sends them the gift of the Holy Spirit, it seems the apostles were still confused about something. All along his they had been expecting this Messiah to overthrow the Roman government's occupation of their land and establish an earthly kingdom. Their question to him proves they were still thinking small, not realizing the full scope of the Kingdom that was to come. They were thinking about finally having political power. Jesus basically says that the time and day for the coming of the Kingdom was none of their business. He was telling them this thing wasn't going to be about political power. We, the American church, can get that twisted as well. Should we vote? Of course! But we can never get swept up into thinking that our presidential candidate is the one Christians should vote for or is the one the church needs in order to advance the Kingdom of God. Nowhere in Scripture does it say that the Church should seek political power. The strategy of the Church is prayer and preaching. We serve the King of Kings, the eternal Kingdom of God. We will not divide over lesser kings and kingdoms. What are the dangers letting politics get mixed up with our faith?
After Jesus ascends into heaven, two messengers from God tell them that one day Jesus will return the same way he left. We tend to remember Jesus as he was humiliated and suffered and died. But that was the past. Right now he is enthroned at the right hand of the Father. Presently he rules and reigns with eyes like fire with a sword coming out of his mouth (Rev. 1). And he will return one day, personally, visibly and supernaturally from the clouds. He will return as King and judge all of us for the life we lived. How often do you think about his return? How might living with this end in mind affect the way we live our lives?
These first 11 verses of Acts 1 tells all Jesus followers what we are to do. He gave us a MISSION; to be his witnesses. He gave us a MESSAGE; Jesus is Lord. He gave us a MEANS to deliver this message; the Holy Spirit. And he showed us on a MAP where to go; to the ends of the earth. This is going to be the theme of Acts and should be the heartbeat and purpose of the Church! What would your life look like if it revolved around this directive from Jesus? Can you truly say that you're on mission with him?

Prayer Topics:

That we would remember your faith is built on solid ground.
That we would serve HIS Kingdom over politics.
That we would live our lives expectant of Jesus' return.

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