Learning from the Word
God works through his people to grow his movement.
As we prepare to read our primary text for this lesson it will be helpful to recall what happened immediately before the events recorded in Acts 4.
God performed a miracle through Peter and John. A man who had been lame for 40 years was healed! After this miracle, Peter and John preached the gospel in the temple. Many people responded, trusting in Jesus as their Savior and Lord.
Read Acts chapter 4
Click for the text
Connecting to the Truth
As we study God’s Word we discover several key concepts that describe the atmosphere of a growing movement. These concepts are not limited to specific activities. They describe the culture or environment of a healthy spiritual movement.
Spiritual Dependence:
Only God can build a spiritual movement. It is his work. We merely join him as servants and co-laborers. We are dependent on God for all things. Consider our dependence on the Lord in the primary movement elements:
Connecting lost people to Jesus (WIN):
Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father but through me.” Man’s connection to God has always been God’s task. It is all up to him. “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him.” (John 6:44) If it were not for God’s goodness, no one could come to God. From start to finish, every aspect of lost people coming to Christ is dependent on the grace of God.
Life-Changing Discipleship (BUILD):
Paul said it well. He and Apollos had their role in the process – planting and watering. But only God caused the growth. (1 Corinthians 3:6) Life change is always the work of God. It exceeds our capacity as disciple makers. In the discipleship process, we are wholly dependent on the Lord.
Multiplying Leaders (SEND):
Leadership development is built on the back of solid discipleship. We just noted that discipleship is God’s work. Throughout the Bible we also see that God appoints leaders. He gives them their skills. God enables them to fulfill their tasks. God multiplies leaders, and we are privileged to assist in the process as his servants.
How does a healthy movement express dependence on God?
We want all that we do to come from hearts that are fully dependent on the Lord. Movements that trust in the Lord for all things tend to practice the following:
♦ The movement prays continually. We always go to the Lord. We confess that we are unable to achieve his goals. We ask God to work.
♦ Those who are part of a movement fix their eyes on heaven and look to the Lord from whom their help comes.
♦ Dependent movements follow the example of king David who prayed:
My salvation and my honor depend on God;
he is my mighty rock, my refuge.
Trust in him at all times, you people;
pour out your hearts to him,
for God is our refuge. (Psalm 62:7)
Movements require an atmosphere of dependence in order to grow.
Faith:
Dependence, Trust and Faith form a family of terms that lie at the heart of Christianity. Each has its own nuance.
Faith can be described as belief that leads to action and change. In faith Abraham left his home in Mesopotamia to pursue God’s calling. In faith Rahab hid the spies who entered Jericho. (Hebrews 11) These examples highlight belief that results in action.
We believe in a great God who does great things. This God has revealed his intentions to us, and involved us in his work. Thus, we take action to do what he says. Consider the following example:
How did the actions of these three students demonstrate faith?
What connection do you see between the actions of these three students and Acts 4: 8 & 13?
Movements are built by faith. It is the oxygen the movement breathes.
Togetherness/community:
Our generation is affected by an illness. Faith has become so personal that the fiber of community that once ran through its heart has been diminished to a mere shadow A few individualistic actions (like saying a prayer, crossing yourself, keeping a fast during a holiday season) became the measure of one’s spiritual life. Yet Jesus said, “They will know you are my disciples by your love for one another.”
Movements are not expressions of individualism. Movements bring God’s children together to build a community that serves the Lord and fulfills the Great Commission. As movement builders, we commit ourselves to love each other, to learn from each other and to serve each other as we serve the Lord.
This community adopts a God-given purpose and we sharpen each other (as iron sharpens iron Prov. 27:17) in order to fulfill that purpose and bring honor to the Lord.
A movement thrives as the community grows.
Entrusted workers:
Our great God has already given each believer many things. They have new hearts, spiritual gifts, and the riches of Christ. They have the Spirit of God and the voice of the Good Shepherd. They are God’s workmanship, created for good deeds. (Ephesians 2:10) He has entrusted them with the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5: 18) We are GREATLY BLESSED.
Because God has given us these things and a profound mission, those involved in a spiritual movement have the confidence to take action. Our movement atmosphere encourages all to grow by doing, not simply by studying or preparing to do something.
Paul told Timothy that he was to “entrust” what God had given him to faithful people. He was to act as God’s servant, knowing that God would work through him. Spiritual movements embrace this belief. This conviction propels us into service. We are a movement because God is moving in us, leading us and fulfilling his will through us. We do not wait for others to empower us with what Christ has already given to us.
Because Christ has given all of this to us, each person owns the mission and invests in their movement.
In summary:
Multiple activities comprise the heart of movement building. It matters how these are pursued. In an atmosphere of dependence, faith, togetherness and entrusted workers the movement pleases its Master.
Watch the following video. Listen to both their words and HOW they communicate the message. See what you can learn about the “HOW” of movement building just by watching these students.
