Bible Study September 27, 2012

Hey Gang,


We continue this week in our study of Apologetics with our final series of lessons entitled The Case for The Christian Life. This week we consider life together through church as another reason for the Christian life being the better choice.

Is the church experience what God intended it to be? Is it possible to be interested in Christian faith but turned off by Christianity?

Earlier in our lives and even still for some, we attended church for our kid’s sake. Now that they are out of the house, why would you attend church? Have you ever felt like church was more habit than a vital experience? With everything you have going on demanding your attention, how do you make church a priority?

 
“Just in terms of allocation of time resources, religion is not very efficient. There’s a lot more I could be doing on a Sunday morning.” – Bill Gates 

Do we get so wrapped up in religion that we miss out on what's important to God?

Sunday @ Church

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The number of Americans who don’t go to church has mushroomed from 39 million to 75 million since 1991 – representing more than one-third of the U.S. adult population and a 92% increase. – Barna Research Group

Why?

Aren't Churches supposed to change lives?

When we do a study on church, the best place to start is at the beginning. The book of Acts details how and why the church began. The How and Why help us make the case for living Life Together – through Church.

• Acts 1:4-8 shows us the action of the Holy Spirit

• Acts 1:9-11 the ascension of Jesus into heaven

• Acts 1:15 the first 120 believers

• Acts 2:1-40 God’s Spirit descends on these gathered believers and Peter stands up among the large crowd to preach the gospel of Christ

• Our lesson picks up here at the conclusion of Peter’s message where we are asked to Identify with the church. 

Identify – Experience – Commit  

I. IDENTIFY WITH THE CHURCH – ACTS 2:41-42

41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.



Talk about an alter call – after Peter’s message 3,000 people were added to the church body!

• Even by today’s mega church and super event standards, 3,000 is a lot of new believers.
• They began with 120 and now they were 3,120 – that’s a 2500% increase in one day!
• That's a lot of changed lives don't you think.

How do we know these new believers were committed to Christ?

• They were baptized
• They devoted themselves to teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer.

How should we identify with the church?

• Teaching, fellowship, remembrance, and prayer

We have so many avenues for learning these days: Is it really necessary to go to church for teaching? Is it really necessary to attend a Bible study? Why do we need relationships with other people of the faith? Why do we need church?




II. EXPERIENCE THE CHURCH – ACTS 2:43-47

43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.


The first Christians experienced community, God’s power, joy and gladness, daily growth, and favor with people. Their church expectations were off the charts. The contagious devotion of these early believers had resulted in an outpouring of individual and corporate care. God showed His presence with miraculous acts. These believers met each other’s needs and shared life and worship – the sense of community grew.


When the church does the right things, people are drawn to it – growth happens, people’s lives are changed. Why?

• Because they have experienced church as it was meant to be.
• God’s power at church happens in and through individual Christians.

How can 21st century Christians create the mutual need-meeting described in verses 44-45?

• As early believers rightly aligned with God through the church, they rightly cared for each other.
• Loving God leads to loving people.
• The early church members made certain that every member’s physical needs were being met.
• They saw each other as family, bonded by a saving relationship with Christ.

III. COMMIT TO THE CHURCH – HEBREWS 10:23-25

23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.


When it comes to church, what do you think God has in mind?

• Fellow Christians being Christian – what does that mean?
• Loving God and loving others.
• God is always faithful; people are not.
• We show faithfulness to church not because of what people can do for us or how they make us feel but because of Christ’s faithfulness to us.

What should occur in churches based on these verses?

• We show our love for God by showing love for people.
• We join with other believers, encouraging them despite their faults.

Does God need us to attend a church service once or twice a week? Why or why not?



How do we know that God has our hearts, and that we’re not just going through the motions?



What issues in our world today do you think God really cares about? What are you doing about them?



Let’s be honest. A lot of people confuse religion with God and walk away from them both. The point isn’t Christianity. The point is being a Christian. It means being a follower of Jesus. It’s being connected with everything that is true and good and right. Everything that goes on around us that reminds us that there is so much more going on around us than we realize. Could anything be more beautiful?

Be in prayer this week as we come to the final two lessons on our Case for the Christian Life and the importance of the church.

See you on Thursday!

In His Love,

David