Discussion Questions

Sermon Overview

God forgives and gives his Spirit to all who turn to the exalted Christ.

I. The power: the promised Spirit has come (vv. 1-13)

II. The message: the crucified Jesus is King (vv. 14-36)

III. The response: repent and be forgiven and filled (vv. 37-41)

Digging Deeper

The power: the promised Spirit has come (vv. 1-13)

1. In Acts 2:1-13, we see God empowering his people by the Spirit to preach the gospel (declare the mighty works of Jesus’ death and resurrection) across language barriers, that he might clearly show that the gospel is for everyone. What are some reasons we should rejoice and be thankful that God’s saving purposes through the Gospel are global (“every tribe, tongue, people and nation”)?

2. Acts 2:1-13 shows us that one of the things God wants to empower his people for, by the Spirit, is to speak about Jesus to others. Have you ever sensed the Spirit of God empowering you to bear witness to Christ? If so, please share that story.

3. What might it look like for you to seek a greater degree of the Spirit’s empowerment to bear witness to “the mighty works of God” as seen in Christ’s life, death, and resurrection?

4. What do you think might be some potential fruit of pursuing #3 above?

The message: the crucified Jesus is King (vv. 14-36)

5. This sermon helped us see from these verses (2:14-36) that Jesus is Lord in the fullest, truest sense: he is God himself; he is Christ, the King, who has been exalted to the right hand of God. Is there any sphere of your life in which you are less inclined to be mindful that Jesus is King and acknowledge him as such?

6. As Lord and King, Jesus is worthy of our absolute allegiance. What is a recent example of a choice you have made because of your allegiance to King Jesus?

The response: repent and be forgiven and filled (vv. 37-41)

7. The way we receive the free gift of forgiveness and the gift of the Spirit is by repentance. Do you remember the first time you repented? What did that look like? Please share.

8. What place does repentance have in your life currently?

9. Have you been baptized (as a believer)? If you have, please briefly share your baptism story.

10. If you have not been baptized (as a believer) - why haven’t you?

Prayer

Discussion Questions

Sermon Overview

Jesus' empowered people must proclaim his forgiving fulfillment to all nations.

I. Jesus' resurrection was persuasively physical (vv. 36-43)

II. His forgiving fulfillment must be proclaimed to all nations (vv. 44-49)

III. This proclamation proceeds from joyful worship (vv. 50-53)

Digging Deeper

1. Does the resurrection of Jesus ever feel “too good to be true” to you? How is this passage reassuring when we feel this way?

2. If the resurrection is true, the implications for how we live our lives are huge. What - specifically - does Jesus’s resurrection mean for you today?

3. Pick one of the Old Testament passages pointing to Christ mentioned in the sermon (Genesis 3, Exodus 12, Isaiah 53, Psalm 22). Spend some time reflecting on how it connects us to the Gospel.

4. When thinking about the task Jesus gives to us - proclaiming the forgiveness of sins that he offers to the nations - we may feel weak. But Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to us to aid us in power to spread the Gospel everywhere. What needs and weaknesses do you need to trust the Spirit to supply in your life?

5. Spend some time thinking about people for whom God has laid a burden on your heart. Are you called to go and spread the good news of Jesus somewhere else? If so, where? If not, where - and to whom - in your spheres of influence are you called to proclaim it? Be specific.

6. How can we grow in making our “joyful worship” of God visible to the world, which needs to see our love for him?

7. When we go through hard seasons trying to follow Jesus, what truths from his word - especially in the Gospel of Luke - can help us endure and continue to trust his plan?

8. After Jesus ascended and blessed the disciples, they returned to the temple, blessing him. What blessings of God can you respond to in praise today? (think not only in physical/material terms, but also spiritual).

9. Where and how can we, as a Gospel Community - a family of disciples sent by God on mission to the world - proclaim Jesus’s forgiving fulfillment by the power of the Holy Spirit?

Prayer

Discussion Questions

Sermon Overview

The resurrection of Jesus proves God has kept all his ancient promises and so will come through on all his promises that lie ahead.

Digging Deeper

1. What assumptions have you seen people have that keep them from “getting” Jesus? What barriers did you have to overcome to receive Jesus?

2. Jesus helps his disciples understand God’s plan by going to all the Scriptures (i.e., the Old Testament) and showing how it was about himself (24:27). How does Jesus’ approach affect the way we approach reading and understanding the Bible?

3. What was that moment like when you understood who Jesus was for the first time? If you haven’t yet experienced that, what do you think holds you back?

4. In the sermon, it was said that we can sometimes think Jesus is far away, even when he’s right alongside us. How might this be (or has it been) true in your life?

5. Why doesn’t God always conform to your expectations? Why might this actually be a good thing?

6. How can you grow in letting God’s Word define your expectations for life?

7. What situation or circumstance in your life right now tends to overshadow the power of the resurrection?

8. Consider a circumstance you’re in right now. How can the fact that Jesus is truly alive help you endure it well?

Prayer