Small Group Guide

A SOVEREIGN GOD AND AN UNSTOPPABLE GOSPEL

The Church at Brook Hills David PlattDecember 4, 2016Acts 27-28

MAIN TRUTH

Message Summary

As the book of Acts closes, it seems despairing. Paul, a prisoner, sets sail for Rome for trial, and during the journey, a storm causes his boat to shipwreck on Malta, an island in the Mediterranean. While on the island, a viper fastens onto his hand and poisons him, and because he does not die, the islanders consider Paul to be a god. When Paul finally arrives in Rome, he gathers local Jews in order to share the gospel with them, but many refuse to believe. This is the context in which Luke provides the closing words of the letter about how Paul lived as a prisoner in Rome for two years, yet while there, he proclaimed the teachings of Jesus “with all boldness and without hindrance” (Acts 28:31). While the last two chapters of Acts seems like a series of unfortunate events, God was sovereignly working through them to enable the spread of the gospel. We live in a world where unprecedented opportunities abound right now for the spread of the gospel among people who have never heard it, and because of the power of God and this gospel, we as Christians must be faithful to share the gospel with “all boldness” in the places where God has us.

WHY IT MATTERS

Digging Deeper

During the month of December in our Worship Gatherings, we will feature stories of God’s faithfulness in how He has used our church’s Global Offering to support gospel advancement around the world. Each Sunday, church members have an opportunity to give to the Global Offering above and beyond their regular tithe, and giving is also possible online (brookhills.org/globaloffering). These resources support members of our faith family who are being sent out mid-term and long-term, provide financial assistance to short-term team members, and supports mission organizations and strategic partnerships for the purpose of church planting.

As a small group, identify who in the group has been on a short-term trip or who has served mid-term through Brook Hills. Where did they go? What did they do? How did they come alongside local believers or local churches while there? How did they see God work? Throughout this month, consider having a group member or two share more in-depth about their opportunity to go through Brook Hills. You could also take the list of short-term trips for 2017 and pray (1) for where God would have the members of your group go, if possible, and (2) that God would be glorified and the gospel spread through these trips next year. These short-term trips are listed on the church website (brookhills.org/shortterm). Also, pray for our long-term missionaries who are currently serving around the globe; for this list and for ways to pray, visit brookhills.org/globalmissions and click on “Missionaries” under “Prayer Focus.”

Also, challenge group members to consider what God would have them to give to the Global Offering this month, and discuss how you can prioritize giving and serving during the holiday season when it is so easy for us to be self-focused. As you consider next year, how can group members prepare now for the 2017 Global Offering? What would it look like to put back money throughout the year for this purpose in preparation to give? Ask for ideas on what this could like and how it could be done, and commit as a group to do this, even if it’s only $1 or $5 (or more) a month. In discussing this, be sure to emphasize why we give. The motive is not to raise money for money’s sake. Point out how our use of money indicates the state of our hearts and what we treasure, and remind the group why God and His gospel are worth it.

NOW WHAT DO WE DO?

Group Discussion & Application

Use the following questions to examine what the sermon and its text mean, to apply the Word to your life, and to guide how you pray.

  1. As a group, define the word “sovereignty.” What does it mean that God is sovereign?
  2. What implications does God’s sovereignty have for your life? How should you respond when God’s sovereignty conflicts with your desires?
  3. Even when situations were hard or out of your control, how have you seen God’s sovereignly working in your life or family?
  4. As a group, describe the gospel to each other. What is the gospel?
  5. God is ultimately orchestrating all things so His gospel is proclaimed. How have you seen Him do this? How have you seen Him use all things – including tragedy – for gospel advancement?
  6. How does God’s sovereignty offer hope and purpose to Christians?
  7. In what ways do we struggle to accept the truth of God’s sovereignty? In what ways could this doctrine be a hard pill to swallow?
  8. As a group, discuss how we live in a world where unprecedented opportunities abound to share the gospel with people who have never heard it. What types of events in the world have created these opportunities? What opportunities do we have to share with such people here in Birmingham?
  9. Where has God sovereignly placed you where you right now (neighborhood, family, work, school, hobbies, etc.)? Why has God placed you there in those specific places?
  10. How are you leveraging your job and your life here for the spread of the gospel? How can you? What would it look like for you to do this?
  11. With regards to leveraging your life for gospel advancement, what things serve as roadblocks for you? How can you address these?
  12. What gifts and skills has God given to you? How can you use them to platform the gospel? What would that even look like in your life?
  13. How is the gospel unstoppable? Throughout history, how has God preserved His Word and enabled the gospel to thrive and continue to be proclaimed?
  14. Why is it that we as Christians are so prone to be silent with the gospel? How can you address this in yourself? How can you grow in obedience and in boldness? How can you cultivate a greater desire to share and a greater burden for the lost?
  15. With regards to witnessing, how does our silence indicate a lack of trust in the power of the gospel to save?
  16. What would it look like for you to live right now with confidence in the gospel’s power?
  17. How can you be alert to opportunities this week – today – to share the gospel with someone?

Resources for Small Group Leaders

Weekly Prayer Focus (from Our Worship Guide)

  • Pray for Our Lives:
  • Praise God for His divine guidance in our individual lives as well as our corporate faith family to impact the nations with His gospel.
  • Pray for how we can best pray, give, and go for the sake of the gospel and God’s glory in our world.
  • Pray for Our City:
  • Pray for Steel City Ministries, a free Christ-centered community-based recovery center in Birmingham that coaches men through biblical principles and life skills in order to help them experience and sustain a more abundant life.
  • Pray for True Vine Evangelical Ministries, Inglenook, and for Pastor Ralph Garth.
  • Pray for Our World:
  • Praise God for how He allowed over 300 people to hear the gospel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, this summer. Through giving to the Global Offering last year, we were able to send 8 mid-termers to serve in Kuala Lumpur for 2 months, and as a result, many unreached people groups heard the gospel for the first time.
  • Pray for the lost in Kuala Lumpur and for the Christians who are serving there.

“A Sovereign God and an Unstoppable Gospel,”December 4, 2016 | Page 1