Introduction: The Opening

Session Overview

Confessional Statement

Disciples of Christ: earnestly receive God’s salvation by repenting from sin and pledging faith in Christ, publicly declare their faith commitment and community participation through baptism, and get established in faith essentials as part of a Christian community.

Key Elements

• Key Passage: Acts 2:1–47
• Scripture Memory: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” John 10:27–28
• Catechism Question: Q: What is a follower of Christ called? A: Disciple

Introduction

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

It is good to be tired and wearied by the vain search after the true good, that we may stretch out our arms to the Redeemer.

Jesus is calling people to follow him on the path to life. As Savior, Jesus secured salvation for sinful humans. Humans seek earnestly for meaning, purpose, and harmony in their lives. This instinct is built into our human makeup. However, the fact that our searching often leaves us empty and lost means that something has gone terribly wrong with the human condition. Jesus’ invitation to become his disciple is an invitation to find what we have been looking for all along: a restored and reconciled relationship with our Creator. Jesus himself is the answer to all our greatest ailments and the fulfillment of all our deepest longings. He has come to rescue us from the wayward road of human sin and misery—a road that leads to death and destruction— and set us on the path of joy and fullness. A path that leads to life and blessing.

Human sin is an obvious reality. The brokenness and dysfunction of the world (and human experience) are evidenced all around us. Most would readily admit that the world does not seem to function the way it should. Although there is much to enjoy at an interpersonal level, human relationships often face disappointment, tension, and conflict. Nations and governments engage in seemingly endless strife. Political leaders often nurse appetites of greed that lead to the exploitation of others. Cultural value systems and ideologies often cut against the grain of biblical values. It is not better within our own personal lives. At an individual level, humans bear suffering and hardships that are physical, emotional, mental, and behavioral in nature. Only in Jesus can people find rescue and relief from the burden and chaos brought about by human sin.

This study outlines the fundamentals of what it means to follow Jesus on the path of life. It is based on the biblical narrative found in Acts 2:1–47. The scope of this scriptural account serves as a sketch of the basics of the Christian faith. The historical events recorded in this biblical passage mark the birth of the church. This narrative about the origins of the Christian community provides insight into the foundations of the Christian faith. For weeks after Jesus’ resurrection, he made many appearances to his disciples to prove that he had come back to life and risen from the dead (Acts 1:1–3). Promising to send the Holy Spirit to empower his followers (1:4–8), Jesus ascended to heaven before his disciples’ eyes (1:9–11).

As this group of early Christ-followers continued to gather together (cf. 1:12–26), the Holy Spirit came upon them and enabled them to miraculously speak to a surrounding crowd in foreign languages (2:1–13). The lead disciple, Peter, spoke to the crowd and explained that this miraculous event was a sign that God was fulfilling his promised plan of salvation (2:14–21). After this explanation, Peter recounted the gospel message: how God achieved salvation and forgiveness of sins for sinful humans (2:22–36). Subsequently, Peter instructed believers in the crowd on how they should respond in order to become followers of Christ (2:37–41). The story ends with a summary depiction of the devotion of the early church to the life of faith (2:42–47).

As our study follows the storyline in Acts 2:1–47, we will clarify the basic elements of Christian discipleship. Although separated by time and culture, our lives are much like the ancient people in this story. We face fears and bear hardship. We struggle with sin and long for wholeness. We hold deeply held hopes and seek to quench fierce inner longings. We wrestle to sort out the difference between good and evil, right and wrong, wisdom and foolishness. We want relational harmony and aim for our lives to count for a worthwhile purpose. Much more than sharing a common human condition, however, may we also come to share a life-altering transformation as we heed the “call of Christ” to follow him on the path of life as his faithful and devoted disciples.

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Book Overview: Surveying the Landscape

Jesus calls people to follow him as his disciples. Like stepping stones on a pilgrimage, Acts 2:1–47 outlines stepping stones for the journey of discipleship. In this opening section, explore the core content of this study, consider the key idea of discipleship, and articulate your past experience in matters of faith.

Core Content

An outline of Christian teaching is like a map for the journey of faith. Survey the three major sections and associated themes of this scriptural passage. Discuss which sections of this narrative seem most interesting to you.

Key Idea

Read the following summary. Identify any parts of this summary that are interesting or confusing. Discuss what parts of this statement you understand and what parts you hope to explore in more detail.

Disciples of Jesus believe the good news of the gospel, get baptized into the church community, and fully devote themselves to the teachings of Christ.

Past Experience

Before people become followers of Christ, they have usually had some interaction with and perspective on the Christian faith. Think about your past experience with religion, Christianity, and the church. Discuss your previous opinions, attitudes, and encounters toward Christianity.

Faith Foundation: Exploring the Terrain

When Jesus invites people to follow him, he calls them to deeply trust him and wholly commit to him. Use the discussion questions and key quote to ponder the core commitments of being a follower of Christ

Discussion Questions

Christians commit themselves to God, God’s ways, God’s people, and God’s world. Discuss the following questions as a means to introduce these core commitments of the Christian faith.

Significant Quote

Faith is the foundation of a disciple’s life. Read the following quote and discuss with others what it means to be a follower of Christ.

“Faith is the acknowledgment of the entire absence of all goodness in us, and the recognition of the cross as the substitute for all the want on our part. Faith saves, because it owns the complete salvation of another, and not because it contributes anything to that salvation. There is no dividing or sharing the work between our own belief and Him in whom we believe [Jesus]. The whole work is His, not ours, from the first to last. Faith does not believe in itself, but in the Son of God. Like the beggar, it receives everything, but gives nothing. It consents to be a debtor forever to the free love of God.”

Learning Plan: Charting the Course

Jesus calls his disciples to commit themselves to the study of his Word. Overview the basic framework of this study, make a plan to complete each session, and identify a church leader (and a group of other believers) to help guide you through this process.

Session Framework

The Scriptures are the only reliable guide for life. In the Bible, God outlines the foundations of the Christian faith. In order to help guide new disciples in fruitful Bible study, the following diagram overviews a process of biblical interpretation. This process invites disciples to read the Bible to understand what it says, to grasp what it means, to obey what it commands, to implement what it teaches, and to witness what it proclaims. These five movements form the framework of this Bible study process. It will help you understand the core passage of this study and equip you to study the Scriptures indefinitely into the future.

Planning Calendar

Taking first steps in the faith, disciples of Jesus devote themseles to an ordered process of growth and learning. Use the following calendar to plan your journey through this study of the fundamentals of the Christian faith.

Community Context

Core Project: Synthesizing the Faith

Each of us has a story. God wants us to share with others how we came to follow Jesus. In this section, you will preview a simple way to tell your own personal narrative and imagine what life will be like as a disciple of Christ.

Crafting Your Personal Narrative

Over the course of this study, you will reflect on the ways God has changed your life. As you work through each main session, you will clarify the basic content of the gospel, articulate your own story, and explore what it means to be an active and committed member of the church. In the concluding session, you will compile this work into a single narrative which can be shared during a baptism or membership covenant. The following outline overviews the major sections of your personal narrative. Review the outline below.

• Gospel Summary: In Session 1, you will summarize the good news of the gospel in your own words.
• Personal Testimony: In Session 2, you will tell the story about how you came to faith in Jesus and you will share your understanding of baptism.
• Church Covenant: In Session 3, you will state your intention to commit to God’s people.

Imaginative Storytelling

Think about the next season of life into which God is inviting you. Imagine your life as a Christian, your participation in a church family, the challenges you might face, and the way God might use you to serve his purposes in the world. Reflect on these thoughts with others.

Faith Practice: Following the Way

Disciples follow Jesus over the course of a lifetime. Familiarize yourself with core Christian commitments, identify specific prayer requests, and pray for God’s transformative work in the course of the upcoming weeks.

Christian Commitments

Christian disciples fully commit their lives to Christ. The following statements summarize four major commitments involved in being a disciple of Jesus.

• Commitment to God: Jesus’ disciples fully commit themselves to God, placing their faith in Christ as their only Savior and King, believing that Jesus “came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).
• Commitment to God’s Ways: Jesus’ disciples fully commit themselves to God’s ways, striving towards a godly life “so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Colossians 1:10).
• Commitment to God’s People: Jesus’ disciples fully commit themselves to God’s people, becoming an active member of Christ’s body that they “may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15).
• Commitment to God’s Work: Jesus’ disciples fully commit themselves to God’s work, embracing their role in God’s mission for His world to “walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time” (Colossians 4:5).

Prayer Request

Community Prayer