Sermon Notes for Small Group Leaders
Great Power and Much Grace – The Jesus Way
Pastor Jim Zippay
April 26 & 27, 2008
Acts 4.32-5.16
Outline
I. God’s presence dwells in His people
II. God’s power and grace flow out of our purity
Content
1. The loss of strength and flexibility in the physical, spiritual, and emotional arenas is a reality of growing older. Unity and generosity are good indicators of a healthy heart attitude.
2. Faith in Jesus creates bonds to people and cuts bondage to things; the early church set a standard of using possessions as a means of loving people.
3. We need to watch out for the snare of success because possessions can dull us to a full experience of God’s power and grace.
4. The root of gratitude is grace, a sense that we don’t deserve what we have; when we realize it's all a gift from God our hearts will produce generosity.
5. Generosity inspires others to be good examples, but not all of these motives are noble. We often envy the esteem others receive and begin coveting attention.
6. In the church, we are particularly susceptible to pretending and putting forward a good image.
7. Integrity is more important than image. Ananias and Sapphira received a harsh judgment because they chose to deceive the church and keep up their image.
8. Satan can try to exploit our weaknesses, but we decide how to respond to the devil’s voice.
9. Society tells us to avoid things that make us feel bad about ourselves. Instead, we should welcome some holy dread. The Bible gives us permission to feel bad about our mistakes.
10. It’s best to come clean and confess sin so we can receive a fresh measure of God’s power and grace (1 John 1.9).
Aim
Firmness in our relationships and freedom with our things produces the kind of community that experiences God’s power and grace.
Application Questions
I. “The church can be a dangerous place.” What do you think of this statement? What motivates you to give? How have you tightened your grip on things at the expense of relationships?
II. When have you put up a good front instead of being honest about what’s really going on behind the façade? What happens when others find out? What image are you portraying to others? How accurately does it reflect what’s going on in your heart? When have you experience “holy dread”?
Additional Resource
People of the Lie by M. Scott Peck
