GROUP FELLOWSHIP NOTES: SPRING 2006  January 24/26th

‘THE SPREADING FLAME’ ACTS 8 – 28

How they brought the good news from Jerusalem to Rome

ACTS 8: CHRIST, SAMARITANS AND AFRICANS

1. ACTS 8.1-5:   SPREADING FLAMES

Acts 1-7 has all been about the fire of the gospel kindled and burning bright in Jerusalem.  Now we see it break out from there for the first time and beginning to spread.

• How did the flame begin to spread? What was the catalyst that caused the breakout?  What fanned the flames and spread the fire?
• What important things do we learn from this?
• How much faith do we have in the ability of our all wise God to bring blessing out of disaster?
• Any modern examples of this?

2. ACTS 8.4-40:  CROSSING BOUNDARIES

 - A GREAT ‘LEAP FORWARD’. Big boundary crossed.

     (1) CROSSING THE SAMARITAN BOUNDARY:  8.4-25

EVANGELISATION:  8.4-13

(Remember, up to this time all Christians were Jewish believers.)

• What, and how great, was the problem between Jews and Samaritan? (John 4.9) Why was this a hindrance to the Christian gospel?  (any modern parallels?)
• How was this ‘boundary’ crossed? Any thought about why it should be crossed at this time?  Or why Philip should be the one to cross it?
• What can we learn (for our evangelisation) from how the gospel was presented t0, and received by the Samaritans? What sort of evangelist was Philip?  What was his message? What response did he get?

CONFIRMATION:  8.14-16

• What do your make of the visit of Peter and John to Samaria? Why do you think they came down? Why them?
• How does their visit emphasise the significance of what was happening in Samaria?
• What do you make of the Samaritans “receiving the Holy Spirit” after their water baptism? How does the receiving of the Holy Spirit show the mind and heart of God?

DECEPTION: 8.9-13, 18-24

• What do you make of the case of Simon the Sorcerer? (Luke spends a lot of verses on him. I wonder why?) What salutary lesson can we learn from his sad story?

If you have time:  go on to see......

   (2) CROSSING OTHER RACIAL BOUNDARIES:  8.26-40

Gospel taken to Africa!

• What interests you about the way the Ethiopian was reached and converted?
• What do you know about this man? Who was he?  Where had he been? What was the state of his heart?
• What boundaries were crossed in leading him to Christ and baptising him?
• Whose initiative led to his conversion?  What does this tell you?
• From Acts 8 what do you conclude about the place of believer’s baptism in evangelisation?  How integral is it to the gospel?