What happens when you know that God has a plan for your life, but you choose not to obey? Is God’s plan beaten? Does God lose? Or, does God get what He wants? How does that work out in my life and in your life?
Lifegroup discussion questions after the jump!
They began saying to each other, “Let’s make bricks and harden them with fire.” (In this region bricks were used instead of stone, and tar was used for mortar.) 4 Then they said, “Come, let’s build a great city for ourselves with a tower that reaches into the sky. This will make us famous and keep us from being scattered all over the world.”
-Genesis 11:3-4
On Sunday, we talked about unity, and how real unity can be elusive. Why? What is the difference between true unity, and false unity?
Look!” he said. “The people are united, and they all speak the same language. After this, nothing they set out to do will be impossible for them! Come, let’s go down and confuse the people with different languages. Then they won’t be able to understand each other.” In that way, the Lord scattered them all over the world, and they stopped building the city.
-Genesis 11:6-8
On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.
-Acts 2:1-4
Have you noticed the parallel of how God used language and unity in dealing with people in these two instances? How are they similar? Different? How does each contribute to God’s plan?
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
-Jesus, Acts 1:8
(fast-forward 15 years…)
A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria… But the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went.
-Acts 8:1, 4
What did it finally take for the church to become obedient to the call of Jesus to be witnesses with the power given them?
With declining attendance, growing public disdain, hypocritical leadership, and compromising values, is “power” the word you would use to describe the way the church in America operates today?
Is it possible that we aren’t operating with power because we simply aren’t doing much of anything that requires the Holy Spirit’s power? What would we, the church, need to do to experience that power?
Are we willing to do and to become these things, or will we be pushed, like the early church was?