ASSEMBLIES OF GOD, NIGERIA.
ADULTS SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON 24,
JANUARY - JUNE, 2023.
SUNDAY, 11TH JUNE, 2023.
Memory Verse:
The Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved (Acts 2:47 KJV).
Central Truth
Faithfulness to Christ and church growth go hand-in-hand.
The Lesson Outline
1. Gladly Receiving the Word - Acts 2:4-5,14-18, 37-41.
A. Spirit-Anointed Proclamation
B. Heartfelt Response
2. Christian Fellowship and Ministry- Acts 2:42-47,3:1-12;4:1-4.
A. Life Together
B. Miracles and Message
3. The Word, the Spirit, the Multitude- Acts 4:5-32.
A. Spirit-Anointed Proclamation
B. Unity Among Believers
Learning Objectives
At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
1. Explore elements that led to growth in the Church and how they might lead to growth in churches today.
2. Desire to grow in their relationship with the Lord and fellow believers to facilitate evangelism.
3. Commit to serving Christ faithfully in the power of the Spirit to advance the gospel.
Introducing the Lesson
Jesus had left a task for His disciples to do. After obediently waiting for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, they began that task in the power of the Holy Spirit.
This lesson looks at those early days of the Church, which serve as an example for us.
The Holy Scriptures
Acts 2:16-18,37-38,41,46-47
[16]But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
[17]And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
[18]And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
[37]Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
[38]Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
[41]Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
[46]And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
[47]Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
Acts 3:1
[1]Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.
Acts 4:1-2,4,19,29
[1]And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them,
[2]Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.
[4]Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.
[19]But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.
[29]And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word.
Commentary and Application
1. Gladly Receiving the Word
A. Spirit-Anointed Proclamation - Acts 2:45,14-18.
Jesus had declared to His followers that they would receive power from the Holy Spirit to be His witnesses (Acts 1:8).
This became evident on the Day of Pentecost. On that day, God poured out His Holy Spirit on the early believers in spectacular fashion.
When they were filled with the Spirit, He enabled them to speak in other tongues (2:4). In this case, those tongues were human languages spoken by people gathered in Jerusalem for the Feast (verses 5,8). Imagine the surprise of people from many countries when they began hearing the gospel in their native language coming from the believers.
Peter, standing with the other apostles addressed the crowd to explain what they were observing (verses 14-18).
This was the fulfilment of God's promises to the Jewish people.
The prophet Joel had spoken of this outpouring (Joel 2:28-29). All people could experience the Holy Spirit's presence and power, whether male or female, young or old, slave or free.
The apostles clearly explained how God was at work to redeem His people by sending Jesus to be both Lord and Christ.
The outpouring of the Spirit that very day was proof that Jesus is the resurrected and exalted Lord.
Spirit-anointed proclamation of the good news that God desires work in the lives of all people is still needed today. The Spirit can work powerfully through believers to testify of Jesus. We should look for every opportunity to share the good news with those around us.
Do not discount your own testimony of what Jesus has done in your life. Your testimony and the demonstration of the Spirit's power can work to bring others to faith in Jesus.
Questions for Application
What are two or three key points in your personal testimony?
How does Joel's prophecy reveal the gospel is for all people?
B. Heartfelt Response- Acts 2:37-41.
The Spirit-anointed message of the apostles brought conviction to the hearts of many in the crowd (Acts 2:37).
The disciples were seeing Jesus' words in John 16:7-9 being fulfilled. As people in the crowd on the Day of Pentecost began to realize that God had sent the answer to their prayers in the person of Jesus, the very One they had rejected and handed over to be crucified, their hearts were greatly troubled. People wanted to know how they needed to respond to the truth about Jesus.
Peter instructed the people to repent and be baptised as followers of Jesus (Acts 2:38).
Putting their faith in Jesus would bring forgiveness of their sins. With this restoration of a right relationship with God, they would be able to receive the gift of the Spirit (verse 39). That day about 3,000 people gladly received the call to turn to God for salvation.
Peter's answer pointed them to the hope found in Jesus Christ.
Repentance admitting God's way is the right way--and becoming a follower of Jesus is the way to receiving forgiveness.
God continues His work in believers with the gift of the Holy Spirit (verse 39). Those who gladly receive the good news and yield themselves to God are added to God's family. Their lives will never be the same.
Questions for Application
What hinders people from gladly receiving the gospel?
What can you do to help those who are added to God's family grow as followers of Jesus?
2. Christian Fellowship and Ministry
A. Life Together - Acts 2:42-47
One of the dynamics that helped the Early Church grow was that the believers did life together.
They spent time together to learn the Word of God, to pray, and to worship the Lord.
They encouraged each other outside times of worship by sharing meals and caring for the needs of those among them. The apostles led the way as they taught and performed miraculous works.
Christian fellowship involves spending time together to grow closer to the Lord and to other believers. Acts 2:42 identifies four elements necessary for this growth.
Believers need to learn God's Word together. Learning from other believers how to apply the Bible to everyday living is invaluable.
Believers need to encourage one another. The heart of fellowship is getting to know one another beneath the surface level.
Building safe, loving relationships in which accountability and encouragement are present is the goal of fellowship.
Believers need to worship together. Joining with others to celebrate what the Lord has done and is doing strengthens Christians in their faith and energises their daily walk with Him.
Believers need to pray together. Prayer joins believers together as they intercede for one another. When these four elements are present, believers become a loving, caring Community from which the gospel goes forth.
As this community of believers exemplified the teachings of Jesus about loving God and loving others, people looked on them with favour and were open to the gospel.
Every day more people were coming to faith in Christ and added to the Church.
Questions for Application
What steps can individual believers take to better do life together with other believers?
In what ways is a loving, caring community of faith attractive to unbelievers?
B. Miracles and Message - Acts 3:1-12; 4:1-43.
Peter and John encountered a beggar as they were going to the temple. He had been lame since birth and depended on the kindness of those entering the temple to meet his most basic needs.
The Spirit made it clear to Peter that Jesus had some-thing for this lame man other than a few coins. Peter declared healing for the man in the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 3:1-7).
The man's excited response to his healing drew the attention of others in the temple. He was such a familiar sight as he sat at the gate that everyone knew who he was, and they were amazed at what they were seeing (Acts 3:8-11).
Peter and John then used this opportunity to proclaim the gospel of Jesus, declaring Him to be the risen Saviour whose power had healed the man.
Their preaching so upset the Jewish authorities that they put the two apostles in jail (Acts 4:1-4).
But many in the crowd believed. This is but one example in the Book of Acts of how the demonstration of the Spirit's power through Christians led people to put their faith in Jesus.
The power of the Spirit displayed through signs and miracles can open doors for believers to tell others about Jesus.
Believers should not lose sight of the truth that miracles and the message of Jesus must go together.
The credit and the glory for the miraculous must always go to Jesus, not the believer.
Believers should not be surprised if opposition comes as it did in this account in Acts.
Yet the Church continued to grow as it ministered by the power of the Spirit in the name of Jesus.
Questions for Application
What can believers do to see the Spirit work more miracles through them?
How can miracles open the door for the message of the gospel?
3. The Word, the Spirit, the Multitude
A. Spirit-Anointed Proclamation - Acts 4:5-22.
After spending the night in jail, Peter and John were brought before the Sanhedrin. The council questioned them as to how the lame man was healed (Acts 4:5-7).
With the Spirit's anointing, Peter boldly proclaimed this healing was done by the power of Jesus (verses 8-10).
Peter then stated the Jewish leaders' rejection of Jesus was a fulfilment of Psalm 118:22 (Acts 4:11). Jesus is the cornerstone of God's plan for salvation. There is no other Name by which-people can be saved (verse 12).
Since the council could not deny the miracle, they commanded the apostles not to speak anymore in the name of Jesus.
Peter and John rejected this command, declaring they must be obedient to God's authority above human authority.
The Early Church was facing its first true obstacle in the form of opposition from the Jewish religious rulers.
With a boldness that came from the anointing of the Holy Spirit, Peter unwaveringly proclaimed the truth about who Jesus is- the risen Saviour.
Jesus is the only means of salvation in fulfilment of God's plan announced long before in the Scriptures.
In a time when resistance to and rejection of the gospel is increasing, believers can find assurance that the same Spirit who anointed the apostles empowers believers today to testify as witnesses of Jesus.
The Spirit will give us words to say even in the face of opposition. He will provide opportunities to proclaim the gospel and will work through us to do the miraculous in the name of Jesus. He will also work in the hearts of the hearers to draw them to faith in Jesus.
Questions for Application
How would you answer someone who says it is arrogant or wrong for Christians to say Jesus is the only way to salvation?
Describe a time when the Spirit helped you share the gospel.
B. Unity Among Believers- Acts 4:23-32.
On being released by the Sanhedin, Peter and John reported their encounter to the other believers (Acts 4:23).
In response, the believers prayed, expressing their confidence in God's sovereignty (verse 24).
Looking to Christ for strength to stand firm is what enables believers to remain faithful to Him and united in their service to Him.
The ealy believers were convinced that God is in control, sovereign Over the course of events (verses 25-28). They understood they needed God's help to continue to proclaim the gospel (verses 29-30).
They asked the Lord for boldness and power to fulfil His task. And God answered their prayer. Their "meeting place shook" and they all received a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit (verse 31).
God wants to give every Spirit- filed believer a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit to empower them to proclaim the gospel and see God work the miraculous through them.
This same infilling will draw believers in a closer relationship with each other. Faithfulness to Christ and church growth go hand-in-hand. The unity in the Early Church extended beyond fulfilling its mission of proclaiming the gospel to building an inclusive community of faith.
Their Commitment to serve the Lord and one another united these early believers. Whether in proclaiming the gospel or sharing with those in need, they "were of one heart and of one soul" (verse 32, KJV), and the church continued to grow.
Questions for Application
How is unity among believers seen today?
Does God still answer the prayer for boldness to speak His Word?
Explain.
Call to Discipleship
We must embrace the spiritual dynamics that make the Church grow if we are to move forward as the body of Christ and as individual believers.
As we are faithful to worship the Lord, apply His Word, follow the Spirit, and show loving care to one another, God's kingdom will flourish among us.
Central to all this is the concept of togetherness. Jesus designed His Church to function as a body, each member doing his or her part to contribute to its growth and health.
As the Spirit works in and empowers believers, they will grow in Christ Likeness and evangelize the world.
Opposition cannot stop the Church from growing. Indeed, it should drive believers to support each other and rely fully on the Lord for strength.
Ministry in Action
Ask the Lord for a fresh hunger for His Word. Invest time in both reading and studying the Bible, trusting the Lord to transform you through it.
Get involved in a small group to help you grow and ministry group to help you serve.
Seek God for a fresh infilling of His Spirit so you can stand firm in the faith and boldly proclaim the gospel.
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