INTRODUCTION

As Peter concludes his sermon in Acts 2, he calls the crowd to repentance, baptism and promises them the gift of the Holy Spirit.  This is immediately followed by the account of the practices of the early church.  This passage gives us a vivid picture of the role of the church in connecting people vertically to God through salvation and horizontally to one another in community. In part 5 of our Unstoppable series, we look at how Acts 2:38-47 provides God’s unstoppable game plan for us. No matter our circumstances, His gospel is unstoppable and will continue to bring redemption, healing and freedom to many. 

DISCUSSION

1. Think about a person you admire or deeply respect who has made a difference in your life or in the world around. What are some of the characteristics which you would use to describe them, and the difference they made?

    

2. Read Acts 5:17-18.
   
   But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison.

   Why did the high priest and Sadducees react in the way they did in verse 17? What does their jealousy tell you about how they viewed others and also the attitude of their heart?

   [NB: The Sadducees made up a wealthy and powerful section of the priestly class.]

   b. Have there been situations where you might have had the same view towards others?

3. In verse 18, the apostles were thrown in jail and persecuted for their faith. Yet in verse 19, there was a “but God” moment where God intervenes, and everything changes.

   But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said,

   a. Have there been circumstances and situations where you have been persecuted for your faith?

   b. In the midst of that, was there a testimony and “but God” moment in which God intervened in that situation? Share with the group to encourage one another.

4. In verse 20 and 21, we learn much about the apostles’ reaction through their action.

   “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.” And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach.

   After God opened the doors, the apostles firstly had to go. They then had to stand in the temple to speak to the people all the words of this Life.

   a. What are the words of this Life? How do you know they are the right words?

   b. Personally, which step is the hardest: To go? To stand? Or to speak? 

   c. Have there been situations where we know we have been set free, but have not responded to either go, stand, or speak to the people the words of this Life? What will God want you to do differently today?

5. Many chapters later in Acts 17:6, we read of the lasting impact of the unstoppable work and ministry of Christ through the apostles.

   a. Which people group/people/person will God want you to reach out and teach his teachings to?

WHAT WILL YOU DO

God’s unstoppable work continues in the midst of the disruptions and constant changes in the world around. He is looking for men and women who are set apart, pure, and filled with the Holy Spirit and His power for the work ahead.

We have been set free from the prisons which once held onto us, of sin, our past, guilt, condemnation and shame. As we learnt in the passage from Acts 5, the people of the way did need to carry on doing certain things: 

• Go and stand in the temple
• Speaking to the people
• All the words of this Life 

Maybe for some of us, it will be to go and move out of the prisons we were once in, but set free from. For others, it would be to stand up in the “temples” we are placed in. Similarly, it might even be speaking to the people all the words of this life. 

God’s unstoppable move is continuing, but have we stopped in our obedience/ways?

MEMORY VERSE

But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.” Acts 5:29 (ESV)