Listen in Community
Small Group Study
Overview Today’s session will look at a passage in Acts 2 that helps us understand the values and the purpose of the Early Church. Everything they did was to fulfill God’s mission. In his book, The Mission of God, Christopher Wright shares, “It is not so much the case that God has a mission for his church in the world but that God has a church for his mission in the world. Mission was not made for the church; the church was made for mission—God’s mission.” This team—the Early Church—was completely committed to God’s mission. And that commitment should continue in us today!
First time leading Listen for Adults? Check out the Facilitator Guide.
Engage
QUESTION What is the best team you were ever on? What made the team great?
After Jesus returned to heaven, the first believers gathered and waited for the promised gift of the Holy Spirit. After this small community was filled with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the Church began to grow. By the end of Acts 2, we find that these early believers became a team that worshipped and worked together. Let’s consider what they can show us about God’s plan for His Church.
Watch
As we watch this video, consider this question:
QUESTION What comes to mind when you think about church?
Consider
When you’re on a great team, there’s nothing quite like it. Great teams trust each other, work together, comprise different strengths and weaknesses, and remain focused on their primary mission. In the business world, successful teams are marked by clear and compelling vision, shared values, and an executable strategy. In sports, less talented teams can win by superior teamwork and a better strategy or system. Marriage and parenting can be one of the greatest tests of teamwork—and one of the most rewarding. When you’re on a great team, there’s nothing like it. But the inverse is also true: When you’re on a terrible team, there’s nothing quite like it. Clearly good teamwork matters in every area of life.
QUESTION
What’s a good example of teamwork that you’ve seen at church?
What the Bible Says
Jesus left His life’s work in the hands of a team. These team members had a history of dysfunction and infighting, but now they had a new motivation and a new mission. Their motivation was the crucified, resurrected, and ascended Christ and their mission was to bear witness to Him—to the very ends of the earth!
His disciples began to make disciples. Then, as these disciples began to gather together, the Church was born. The Book of Acts gives us a glimpse of what life was like in the Early Church, and they were quite the team!
A Gathered People Read Acts 2:42–43.
These early believers were not casual followers of Jesus or part-time disciples. They were fully committed to grow in Christ. To do that, we need biblical teaching, meaningful community, and spiritual disciplines. Gaining knowledge about the Bible apart from the other two can create pride
or misapplied doctrine. And a community without the truth of God’s Word and prayerful dependence lacks the power to change lives.
QUESTION The Early Church was devoted to teaching, community, and prayer. Which of the three are you most active in and why?
QUESTION Give an example of how the combination of biblical teaching, meaningful community, and spiritual disciplines has helped you grow in your faith.
A Generous People Read Acts 2:44–45.
The hospitality and generosity of these believers are stunning. The text says that they shared “everything” they had. They sold their land and possessions to help those in need. Something had radically changed their hearts. They were no longer looking for significance or security in their wealth.
In our culture, spenders tend to look to money for significance, and savers tend to look to money for security. The Early Church did neither. They saw money as a tool to help others.
QUESTION What do you think about these actions? Should we see more of this in the church today? Why or why not?
QUESTION Why should the gospel make us a generous people? In other words, how does the gospel set us free from being enslaved to money and material possessions?
A Growing People Read Acts 2:46–47.
The Early Church was not only meeting in public, but privately in their homes too. They continued to meet in traditional settings for worship (the temple). But their faith could not be contained in the walls of the temple, so they gathered in homes as well.
It’s interesting to notice that they were well-liked! Being a Christian doesn’t mean you have to be unpopular or hated by everyone all the time. While these believers were faithful to God and generous to each other, the Lord began to add to their numbers. As they embraced their identity as the Church, God empowered their mission, and they grew!
QUESTION Is what you privately confess and believe in alignment with how you display your faith publicly? Why does this matter?
QUESTION How has living out your faith caused you to enjoy “the goodwill of all people?”
Reflect
When you consider the metaphors for the Church in Scripture, it’s clear how much God values the Church. We are His people (Galatians 6:16). Paul described the Church as the body of Christ and the bride of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27; 2 Corinthians 11:2).
Look at how Peter uses the same language reserved for Israel to describe the Church, “But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9).
As wonderful and assuring as the first half of that verse is, the Church must never lose sight of its purpose as defined by the second half of the verse. The Church is the people of God saved by the power of God for the purposes of God. Those purposes enable us to show others God’s love and goodness. As we remember that we—the Church—were called “out of the darkness into his wonderful light,” we will have the right mission, right message, and right motivation.
Listen to God
The goal of Listen is not only to gain an understanding of God’s Word, but also to pause and listen to what God might want to say to us about what we have read and shared. Be silent for a few moments and reflect on the following questions. Choose the one that most resonates with what God is saying to you now. Then complete the others during Day 1 of your devotion time this week.
Personal Reflection Questions
Record your answers to the following questions in the space provided or in your personal journal.
QUESTION Biblical teaching, faith community, and prayer—which one of these three things do you struggle to devote yourself to most? Why? Take a moment and ask God to help you.
QUESTION Do you ever find yourself avoiding real community? What are your fears about knowing others and being known? List those fears and give them to God.
QUESTION If you are a Christian, what public areas of your life don’t align with the private areas of your life and vice versa?
QUESTION What are some practical ways you can live out your faith publicly in a way that creates goodwill from unbelievers?
QUESTION Think of someone who you would love to see join you at church. Pray for that person by name. Look for an opportunity to invite them into your life and then eventually to your church.
Prayer Requests
Note any requests from the group and remember to pray for them during the week.
Before next time, continue to listen with the personal devotions.
Did You Know?
About twenty years after the last apostle died, a nonbeliever wrote a letter to attempt to explain Christianity to a fellow nonbeliever. This historical document is called The Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus. Notice how the description in this excerpt reinforces what is recorded in Acts 2:43–47: They dwell in their own countries, but simply as sojourners. As citizens, they share in all things with others, and yet endure all things as if foreigners. Every foreign land is to them as their native country, and every land of their birth as a land of strangers. They marry, as do all [others]; they beget children; but they do not destroy their offspring. They have a common table, but not a common bed. They are in the flesh, but they do not live after the flesh. They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven. They obey the prescribed laws, and at the same time surpass the laws by their lives. They love all men, and are persecuted by all. They are unknown and condemned; they are put to death, and restored to life. They are poor, yet make many rich; they are in lack of all things, and yet abound in all; they are dishonoured, and yet in their very dishonour are glorified. They are evil spoken of, and yet are justified; they are reviled, and bless; they are insulted, and repay the insult with honour;
they do good, yet are punished as evil–doers. When punished, they rejoice as if quickened into life; they are assailed by the Jews as foreigners and are persecuted by the Greeks; yet those who hate them are unable to assign any reason for their hatred.1 The Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus. You can read the entire letter here: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0101.htm.
1Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson and A. Cleveland Coxe, eds. Alexander Roberts, and James Donaldson, translators. Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 1. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1885.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0101.htm>. Accessed December 17, 2020.
Listen on Your Own
Listening to God is something we need to do every day. Before you begin each devotion, pray and ask God to speak to you through His Word. Record your answers to the following questions in the space provided or in your personal journal.
Day 1 Read Acts 2:42–47.
Look back over Listen in Community and complete your responses to the Personal Reflection Questions. If time permits, reread the Scripture too.
QUESTION What do you sense that God is saying to you about the importance of the Church?
Listen on Your Own
Day 2 Read Acts 6:1–7. In this session, we got a glimpse of the Early Church in Acts 2. Four chapters later, some participants were discontent. But as we see in this passage, the church should be able to navigate those moments with wisdom and grace.
QUESTION What did the apostles feel the need to devote themselves to? What does that tell you about the significance of these two matters? (Acts 6:4)
QUESTION Even though the work of the seven men may have seemed more practical than spiritual, what did the apostles do in verse 6 that reinforced the importance of their ministry?
QUESTION The eventual outcome was that God’s message spread and people were saved. How can the way believers handle conflict and solve problems be done to the glory of God?
QUESTION How do you handle conflict? What is one way you can improve to better give glory to God?
Listen on Your Own
Day 3 Read 1 Timothy 3:1–13.
One of Paul’s spiritual sons was Timothy, a young pastor who was leading the church in Ephesus. In this letter, Paul was encouraging Timothy in his calling, challenging him to lead well and providing some advice about the practical aspects of church.
From the start of the Church, there is clear evidence that leadership matters. The Bible also shows us that clear leadership structure is important. But Paul knew that Timothy couldn’t just appoint anyone to leadership. In today’s passage, we see one list of the qualifications for church leaders.
QUESTION Make a list of the qualifications that Paul lists in 1 Timothy 3:1–4. Which one is most expected and obvious to you? Which one is most surprising and unexpected?
QUESTION In verse 2, Paul mentions the gifts of teaching and hospitality. Why do you think both matter?
QUESTION Why do you think there is wisdom in not elevating a new believer to leadership (verse 6)?
QUESTION
Paul emphasized not just leadership ability, but strength of character and the home life of
the individual. Why do you think he did that?
QUESTION How have you been strengthened and served by the leaders within in your church?
Take a moment and pray for the leaders in your church. Pray that by God’s grace, they will embody each of these qualities.
Listen on Your Own
Day 4 Read Colossians 1:15–23.
The first part of this passage was possibly a hymn sung by the Early Church. It’s wonderful that the Early Church would gather and sing just like we do in church today (1 Corinthians 14:26). This hymn begins by declaring the eternal greatness of Jesus and ends with gratitude for His humble humanity. In between, we see a reference to the relationship between Jesus and His church.
QUESTION List every truth and action attributed to Jesus in verses 15–17. You should find eight or nine things. Take a moment and thank Him for each of those wonderful truths.
QUESTION How does this hymn describe the relationship between Christ and the Church? (verse 18)
QUESTION What do you think it means that Christ is the head of the Church? How does that inform the way we live as His people?
QUESTION What is the true gospel? Reread verses 20–22 if you aren’t sure.
Listen on Your Own
Day 5 Read Ephesians 3:1–13.
In his letter to the church at Philippi, Paul described himself as “a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one!” (Philippians 3:5). So, it’s interesting that God chose this former Pharisee to bring the message of the gospel to the Gentile (non-Jewish) world.
In today’s passage, Paul was encouraging his Gentile audience with the news that they can share equally and fully in the kingdom of God as His children. This was God’s “mysterious plan” all along—to save people from every nation.
QUESTION According to Ephesians 3:6–7, what is God’s plan?
QUESTION According to verse 10, what role does the Church play in God’s plan? What do you think that means?
QUESTION In Ephesians 3:12, Paul provided the reason why we can boldly approach God in prayer. What is it? How does that truth help you and your prayer life?
QUESTION In Ephesians 3:13, we see that Paul suffered for the Church, including writing these words from prison. What are some sacrifices or concessions you’ve made to serve and strengthen others?
