Acts 4 Community Q
Introduction and Prayer
Key Verse: ____ 1:8 But you will receive ______ when the _____ Spirit comes upon _____. And you will be my ________, telling people about __ everywhere—in _________, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and the _____ of the ______.
What are the two things that will happen when the Spirit of God comes upon us?
Pray
Read Acts 4:1-4
1While Peter and John were speaking to the people, they were confronted by the priests, the captain of the Temple guard, and some of the Sadducees. 2These leaders were very disturbed that Peter and John were teaching the people that through Jesus there is a resurrection of the dead. 3They arrested them and, since it was already evening, put them in jail until morning. 4But many of the people who heard their message believed it, so the number of men who believed now totaled about 5,000.
Why are these leaders upset?
What specific belief of the Sadducees is causing them a particular problem with the content of Peter and John’s message? [They didn’t believe in: the resurrection, the OT prophets or divine intervention with humanity. Jesus defied all these beliefs they held.]
Read Acts 4:5-7
5The next day the council of all the rulers and elders and teachers of religious law met in Jerusalem. 6Annas the high priest was there, along with Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and other relatives of the high priest.7They brought in the two disciples and demanded, “By what power, or in whose name, have you done this?”
What does the Sanhedrin represent in Jewish culture?
Why are they asking about what power or whose name? What is the core issue with this question?
How did this same group of leaders feel about Jesus?
What was the reason for the animosity and rejection of Jesus? Was their perception of John the Baptist any different?
Read Acts 4:8
8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of our people, 9are we being questioned today because we’ve done a good deed for a crippled man? Do you want to know how he was healed?
Why is it important for us to know that Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit?
How many times do we respond as people filled with the Holy Spirit versus being filled with ourselves?
Give a recent example of how you followed the leading of your self as opposed to the leading of the Spirit?
What are some ways that the Spirit of God leads you? [His Word, His servants, an inner knowing, dreams, visions]
How do we know that the Spirit of God is leading? [The primary test is whether the direction lines up with God’s Word. If it’s contrary to God’s Word, then we can be assured that we are not being led by His Presence.]
Read Acts 4:10-11
Let me clearly state to all of you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed by the powerful name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the man you crucified but whom God raised from the dead. 11For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, ‘The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.’ 12There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”
What does Peter mean when he refers to the Scripture that the stone the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone?
If a cornerstone is inaccurately placed, how will the final structure be impacted?
If people reject the Lordship and direction that Jesus provides, how will that impact their lives?
Why does Peter clearly call them out in their crime against Christ?
Why is important to recognize our sin when coming to Christ?
Read Luke 22:54-60
54 So they arrested him and led him to the high priest’s home. And Peter followed at a distance. 55 The guards lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat around it, and Peter joined them there. 56 A servant girl noticed him in the firelight and began staring at him. Finally she said, “This man was one of Jesus’ followers!” 57 But Peter denied it. “Woman,” he said, “I don’t even know him!” 58 After a while someone else looked at him and said, “You must be one of them!” “No, man, I’m not!” Peter retorted. 59 About an hour later someone else insisted, “This must be one of them, because he is a Galilean, too.” 60 But Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.
Compare this Peter to the Peter in Acts: What is different? What is the same? What has caused the change?
Read Acts 4:13
13The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.
What were the things that the Council noticed of Peter and John?
What caused them to notice Peter specifically had been with Jesus? [HINT: Go back and Read Luke 22:54—Peter was in the backyard while Jesus was being questioned at the High Priest’s House]
Read Acts 4:14
14But since they could see the man who had been healed standing right there among them, there was nothing the council could say.
What finally shut the mouths of the critics?
Are we immune to criticism just because we are being led by the Spirit of God?
So if we are not promised the easy road, then what is the benefit of Spirit of God? [Immanuel—God with us. He will lead us in righteousness and seal us for the day of Christ’s return.]
Think on This…
What specifically would look and sound different in your life if you were living filled with the Spirit (full of God) all the time?
Pray that God would genuinely help you live each day full of the Spirit of God. Commit to praying for each another that God would do supernatural work in their lives.