Small Group Guide
THE CHANGE THE GOSPEL BRINGS
The Church at Brook Hills Matt Mason October 9, 2016 Acts 19
MAIN TRUTH
Message Summary
Throughout Acts, we see God at work. We see theology in action. This is important for us as believers because being reminded of how God actively engages and shapes the world through the spread of His Word encourages us to take part in what God is doing. In Acts 19, we see examples of the kind of change the gospel brings to individuals and to a community.
· Renovation: It awakens the heart (vv. 1-7). Every believer who has come to faith in Christ is indwelled with the Holy Spirit. The heart of stone that was once dead in sin has become alive in Christ! The Holy Spirit leads us to truth, causes us to bear fruit, gives us boldness to witness and gifts for building up the church, and deepens our love for Christ.
· Multiplication: It spreads through evangelism (vv. 8-10). Through two years of Paul’s consistent preaching and teaching at a school in Ephesus, God brought the gospel to the whole province of Asia! The point is this: no one is on the sidelines. Just like the disciples who used multiple ways to engage the culture (one on one, open air preaching, equipping disciples, and church planting), there is a wide range of ways that God wants us to share the gospel.
· Revelation: It unveils the spiritual realm (vv. 11-16). In this section of verses, we are reminded that there is so much more going on in our world than just what we can see. Recognizing the spiritual battles that are present, we want to be a church of believers who are filled with God’s Spirit, “taking the gospel to the teeth of the enemy, and watching God the Holy Spirit bind the strong man, the devil, and plunder his house.
· Transformation: It results in cultural renewal (v. 17-20). In Ephesus, we see that the gospel completely changes lives and, ultimately, the culture! We see a picture of Isaiah 55:11 (God’s Word always accomplishes His purposes) over the entire narrative of Acts. When revival of this proportion comes, there is a tipping point where the transformation brought on by the gospel isn’t just individual and personal, but it is felt by the culture as it eventually impacts the systemic structures of society. This is our hope and our prayer for Birmingham and for the world!
In short, we trust in the Spirit who works through the proclamation of the gospel that renovates, spreads, and overpowers evil.
WHY IT MATTERS
Digging Deeper
This week, we are beginning a two week initiative called “Every Member on Mission,” where we are encouraging members of The Church at Brook Hills to ask this question: “What is my next step in engaging the mission of God?” As we begin to prayerfully engage with a question that has far reaching implications for all of us, the truths found within Acts 19 can serve as a good launching point for that discussion.
While Acts 19 encourages us that God truly does use the gospel to bring change, there is an inherent responsibility that comes with that understanding. Since God is continually at work, it is necessary that believers engage the culture with the gospel. Just as we cannot read of the examples of faith in Hebrews 11 without hearing the exhortation to follow their example in Hebrews 12:1-2, the example of God at work in Ephesus (and consequently, the whole of Asia) is meant to drive us from the sidelines and into the game. As you shape the discussion for your group this week, consider that for the next two weeks, our church is focusing on taking the next step in engaging the mission of God. With that in mind, the goal for this section is to begin to practically think through what this looks like in our daily lives.
To kick off discussion, ask the following questions: What is the goal of mission? When we talk about engaging in God’s mission in our city and in the world, what do we really mean? This is important because fleshing out the “what” and the “why” of missions helps us to begin to work through the “how” of missions. So feel free to spend some time here.
In the example of Paul’s time in Ephesus as depicted in Acts 19, we see the kind of change that the gospel brings, and that can help your group discuss the goal of mission. Have the group list out the effects of the preaching of the gospel in Acts 19:1-20. In summary, we see hearts transformed and oriented towards loving Christ, and we see the resulting cultural impact that comes through revival. Additionally, some in your group may point out passages like Revelation 7:9 where we see people from every tribe, tongue, and nation worshipping God, or maybe they think about Philippians 2:9-11, which says that one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord. Obviously, if we all sat down and wrote out a working definition of the goal of mission, it would probably not be worded exactly the same, but the main idea should be there. We want to see the name of Jesus proclaimed and worshipped in all the nations to the glory of God, and we want to see hearts and lives transformed by the gospel, leading to a transformation of culture for God’s glory.
So if we want God to be glorified in our city and among the nations, the next logical step is to ask, “How will we be a part of this movement?” Individually and as a group, what is your next step in engaging the mission of God? As you try to focus your group on being specific with ideas as much as possible, you can be creative with your discussion time. Here are some ideas:
· Check out the church website! You may not be able to practically do this as a group, but you can encourage your group to do it on their own time. Or maybe you could print out some pages to show them. Either way, the website is a very helpful tool that gives you plenty of information and options to work through this. Clicking on the link http://www.brookhills.org/missions brings you right to the “Every Member on Mission” page. Here there are links for local missions, global missions, and church multiplication. There are links for “Pray,” “Give,” and “Go.” There is also a link to our missions newsletter "Of All Nations.” Below are a few things to consider:
o How can we pray for our missionaries as a small group? Could we come up with a schedule to follow or prayer partners to keep each other accountable in praying each week for different global partners?
o How can we (or should we) be engaged in God’s mission through our giving? What are practical ways that you will begin doing this?
o If you or your family cannot commit to going on a trip overseas this year, what can you do to be involved locally? What would it look like to focus on a local missions partner (or two) and get involved with them, either individually or as a whole group?
o Discuss the possibility of God calling you to short, mid, or long-term missions. If you can go on a short-term mission trip, pray for God to give you guidance in where to go. You can also check out the list of short-term trips for the coming year.
· Spend some time in prayer for our faith family as we consider our role in the Great Commission (you can use the “Pray for Our World” section at the very end of this guide to assist you in this).
· Pass out blank sheets of paper and pens, and ask the group to write out names of people in their spheres of influence who they want to share the gospel with. This could be family members, neighbors, coworkers, friends, etc. One practical way to use this list is to commit to praying for the names on the list. You could also discuss how to keep each other accountable in sharing the gospel with those people.
NOW WHAT DO WE DO?
Group Discussion & Application
Use the following questions to examine what the sermon and its text mean, to apply the Word to your life, and to guide how you pray. Please note that you don’t have to use all of the questions. These are just options (along with the digging deeper section) to help you frame the group discussion.
1. What are the characteristics of a genuine believer? What is the difference between mere “external faith” and true faith?
2. How has the gospel rewired your allegiances and created new allegiances in your life?
3. How do we engage our Southern “Bible belt” culture where people commonly know about God, but do not really know Him as Lord and Savior?
4. How can you know that the Holy Spirit dwells within you?
5. How does the indwelling of the Holy Spirit change a person? How does the Holy Spirit work in and through the lives of believers?
6. How can your group practice encouraging each other regarding evidence of God’s grace in your lives? Why is that important to do?
7. Doctrine should stir affection for God in us. How does doctrine increase our love for Christ? If doctrine is not doing this in a Christian’s life, why?
8. In Acts, we have seen multiple ways in which the gospel was shared with people. List some of the different ways that you have seen the gospel shared with you or by the people around you. Why is it important to recognize that there isn’t just one cookie cutter way to share the gospel? Should the difference in method alter the content of what is preached?
9. Paul preached faithfully in the school of Tyrannus for two years. What does that teach us of being persistent and faithful in sharing the gospel?
10. How do we see the effectiveness of discipleship in the spread of the gospel in this passage?
11. Do you have friends or family members you have been trying to share the gospel with for long periods of time? How can you find encouragement from the Word when it feels like they will never believe?
12. How does our culture view the spiritual realm? How do other cultures you know of view it? How can that impact the way we share the gospel?
13. What happens when Christians do not acknowledge the spiritual realm? What happens if Christians focus too much on angels, demons, etc.?
14. How can the gospel work to impact culture or the systemic structures in society?
15. What aspects of our culture need to be changed by the gospel? How can you pray for this?
16. How is it encouraging seeing God’s victory over evil in this passage? How can this give you hope for today?
Resources for Small Group Leaders
Weekly Prayer Focus (from Our Worship Guide)
· Pray for Our Lives:
o Praise God for the gift of the Holy Spirit.
o Ask God to help us grasp the importance of baptism and to obediently follow through with our public identification with Him.
o Ask God to give us boldness in the proclamation of the gospel to those in our city and our world who need to hear. Pray that they would have their hearts softened to the gospel and will receive it by faith.
o Pray for God’s help, wisdom, and guidance as we navigate a world and culture that is increasingly godless.
· Pray for Our City:
o Pray for WorkFaith Birmingham, a Christ-centered ministry focused on workforce preparation and life development for adults facing employment barriers.
o Pray for the graduates as they move into full-time employment, that they would know Christ and continue to develop a biblical worldview. Pray for the over 80% of graduates who have kept a job for over a year, that they will be able to move forward into a career that provides sustainable wages for them and their families.
o Pray for their new partnership with The Lovelady Center, as they serve and prepare ladies who are about to graduate there. Pray for the ladies to have the confidence and discipline they need to obtain employment and continue moving forward in life.
o Pray for additional partnerships in the city to grow with other ministries and organizations in Birmingham.
o Pray for wisdom and guidance for the board and junior board as they seek to guide the ministry, and pray for the provision of resources to sustain this important ministry in the city and hire a full-time Executive Director.
· Pray for Our World:
o Pray for our faith family as we consider how God wants to use our lives for His glory among all nations.
o Praise God for revealing Himself through His Word and opening our eyes to see our role in the Great Commission.
o Pray for each member at Brook Hills to find great delight and joy in serving the Lord in their home, our city, and around the world.
o Pray for God to continue to use our faith family to engage unreached people groups around the world, and pray for the men and women that our faith family will encounter this year on mission. Pray for God to soften their hearts towards Christ and for many to be saved.
“The Change the Gospel Brings” October 9, 2016 | Page 4