New Testament Class Lesson 8: Faithfulness
- Read Acts 2:42. Then answer these questions
1. This is called the recipe for faithfulness. Please explain why.
- What two things showed the early Christians that what the apostles said was true?
1. Read Acts 17:11
2. Read Mark 16:20
3. Read Acts 5:12-16
4. Read Acts 8:6
a. What lessons can we learn from the early Christians regarding this topic?
- Read 1 Peter 2:2, Heb 5:12-13, 1 Cor. 3:2. How should we treat new Christians? How should we treat mature Christians? Heb 5:14
1. The first verses equate new Christians with infants. Why do you feed infants milk? Why should we feed new Christians milk? What would happen if an infant was fed nothing but meat and potatoes?
2. Why do mature Christians need solid food? What will happen to both sets of Christians if they are not fed in an appropriate manner?
- If faith is to be an important part of our lives, where does it come from? Romans 10:17, 1 Cor. 2:4-5.
1. From these verses we learn that faith comes from Hearing, and the Demonstration of God’s power what does that tell you about a living faithful church?
2. How does this relate to spiritual food?
3. How should people view a faithful church?
4. How should people view a faithful Christian?
- In Acts 2:42, apostles’ teaching, fellowship, and the breaking of bread are mentioned.
1. Fellowship literally means lives interwoven together. This is the second ingredient in a healthy growing church. Why is this an important ingredient? In what ways do we at Center Road show our willingness to fellowship and desire to fellowship?
2. How did the early Christians fellowship? Heb. 10:23-25, Heb. 3:12-14, and Acts 2:44-46. Why is it important for us to fellowship in this manner?
3. Read: 1 Cor. 1:9, 1 Cor. 10:20, 2 Cor. 6:14, 2 Cor. 13:14, 1 John 1:3, and 1 John 1:6-7. Replace the word fellowship with lives interwoven together. What new meaning do these verses now have?
- The third ingredient is breaking of bread. What is this? How does it spread the gospel?
1. Read Matt 26:26-29. What is the definition of the breaking of bread?
a. When did they break bread? Acts 20:7
b. Why did they break bread together? 1 Cor. 10:16
c. How is this important to our faithfulness? 1 Cor. 11:26-29
d. What would breaking of bread inappropriately look like? 1 Cor. 11:20-22
- The last ingredient is prayer. What is prayer? How does prayer spread the gospel and how does it show a growing church?
1. Read Heb 10:19-22.
a. Who gives us access to God? How do we have access?
2. Read James 5:13-16, 1 John 5:14-15, Matt 26:39
a. For what reasons do we pray?
b. If the righteous pray what is accomplished?
c. When Jesus prayed, what did he ask for, and to whose will did he submit?
3. . Read Matt 6:5.
a. What should prayer look like?
b. Who should we be concerned is listening to our prayer?
c. Read Matt 6:9. This is an outline for prayer. What are the important parts Jesus chooses to bring out?
- Read Acts 2:42 again. How faithful to the ingredients to spreading the gospel are you?
