Nothing can stop the Church!
key words
biblical reference
Acts 5:12-42
lesson objective
To help children understand that nothing can stop the work Christ gave his Church; and to know the power of the Holy Spirit that is in the lives of believers
memory verse
“Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field’” (Matthew 9:37-38, NIV*).
prepare yourself to teach
Review the memory verse to encourage your children to memorize it, and ask the children how the verse relates to the lives of believers. Every function of the body of Christ is directed toward teaching and preaching about Jesus Christ, sharing the gift of salvation with the world.
“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.” (Ephesians 4:11-12)
1 Peter 2:9 says, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
Although they encountered opposition, the apostles continued to preach the gospel. Their authority and power, given them by Christ, gave them the ability to heal the sick and cast out demons (Matthew 10: 1).
The Church grew rapidly. The believers went to the temple, and the apostles continued preaching and working wonders. People brought them the sick and God healed them. The High Priest and members of the Sadducees were jealous of the signs and wonders that the Peter and John did in the name of Jesus, so they placed these apostles in jail. But the their plan did not work, because that night, an angel of the Lord freed Peter and John from prison. Then the angel told them to stand in the temple courts and tell the people all about this new life. The next morning they entered the temple and taught.
The commission given to the apostles required courage. But because they were filled with the Holy Spirit, they did it. The High Priest and members of his Council were furious and once again threatened the apostles. Peter and the apostles reminded them “We must obey God rather than man.” This further infuriated the religious leaders, who wanted to kill them. But a respected Pharisee told the opposition to leave the apostles alone, reminding them if their work was man-made, it would fade away, but if it were of God, they would not be able to stop it.
introduce the lesson
Even after being persecuted by the religious leaders, the apostles continued to preach the gospel, and every day the Church continued to grow. People continued to go to the temple to worship and learn with each other. They brought to the apostles the proceeds of things they sold so that it would be used according to each person’s needs. People even came from the neighboring cities of Jerusalem, bringing the sick to seek healing. Peter taught us that this was done by the power of Jesus, the Son of God, and that if we ask in his name, he will do wonders. Peter and the apostles taught people about the forgiveness of sins, and that only through Jesus Christ can our sins be forgiven (Luke 19:10, Romans 5: 8).
Ask your children, “What is sin?” (It is disobeying God and not believing in him. See James 4:17.) “What sins have you committed?” (Stealing, lying, disobeying) “Is there anyone who has never sinned?” (No, we all have sinned! We are born with a sinful nature. The Bible says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. See Romans 3:23. And it says “...there is no one who does good, not even one...”. See Romans 3:12.) Nothing sinful can remain in the presence of God, for he is holy. But the Lord’s love for sinners is so great that he gave us something valuable: his Son, Jesus Christ (John 3: 16-18). God did not send his Son Jesus into the world to condemn the world, but that the world would be saved through him.
It is through Jesus that we can approach the Father (John 14: 6). If we repent of our sins, he will forgive us (Romans 10: 9-10).The Holy Spirit will help us to live a holy life that is pleasing to God. This was the message of Peter and the apostles. Peter told the people to repent of their sins and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. The last thing Jesus told his disciples before ascending into heaven was: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1: 8) Peter, John and the other apostles continued teaching and proclaiming the message of Jesus Christ, even though they were persecuted and imprisoned. And believers in the Lord were increasing every day. God took care of his servants then, just as he takes care of us today.
teach the lesson
You cannot stop them!
As you read this Bible story, ask the group to follow along.
“Please step aside to hear what Peter is saying!” someone in the crowd cried out.
The people of Jerusalem gathered around to hear what the apostles were preaching. Those who believed in the Lord increased. Large numbers of men and women came to Jerusalem with the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed. After a while, the high priest and some of his associates, called “Sadducees,” became very jealous of the apostles. They complained, “All these people are in the temple to hear Peter preach about Jesus? Those followers of Jesus are ignorant men, and have never studied the books of the Law like we have!”
“But nobody can deny that something has happened to these men,” said one of the Sadducees. “Have you seen the miracles done in the name of Jesus?”
“Yes, it is amazing!” said another in the group. “They speak with authority, and we have seen how they have healed people in the name of Jesus Christ.”
“It seems to me that you have started to believe all of this,” shouted the High Priest. “I do not care what good these men have done, but I’m furious that they keep saying that Jesus rose from the dead! If they continue with that, they will convince everyone that Jesus is the Messiah.”
Then they arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. But that night, an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and set them free, saying, “Go, stand in the temple courts and tell all the people about this new life.”
The next day, when the High Priest and his associates arrived at the temple, they summoned all of the Elders of Israel and ordered the guards, “Bring the prisoners for interrogation!” When the guards found the prison cells securely locked and no one inside, they reported back to the assembly, “We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside.”
Then someone came and told them that the men who were put in jail were standing in the temple court teaching the people.
The High Priest was furious. He said to the apostles, “You were warned to stop teaching about Jesus and have not obeyed our orders!” In response, the apostles said, “We must obey God rather than men.”
The members of the court were so angry that they wanted to kill the apostles. But Gamaliel, a beloved leader of the group, stood and said, “Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if, their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you wo not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”
connect the lesson
Activity: Find the way out
Give your group Student Activity Sheet #282-A titled “Find the Way out.” The students need to figure out which path the apostles must take to be free from prison.
Activity: Discover the secret
Make sure your Student Activity Sheet #282-B and #282-C and review the Bible story. Help them find the “Discover the Secret” section on Student Activity Sheet #282-C. Your students get to discover what Gamaliel told Peter’s accusers that caused them to let Peter go and allowed the Church to continue to grow. They will need to unscramble the words and write them on the blank lines. “Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their sproupe (purpose) or activity is of amuhn (human) origin, it will laif (fail). But if it is from God, you will not be able to ostp (stop) these men; you will only find yourselves ghgitnif (fighting) nstaiga (against) God.” (Acts 5: 38- 39)
Activity: From where did Peter get his courage?
Give your group Student Activity Sheet #282-D with “From Where Did Peter Get His Courage” at the top.” Give them time to complete this activity. They must write down the Bible verses that gave Peter the courage to face those who opposed him.
Activity: I need courage to…
Ask your students to think about times when they will need courage to do something. Then have them complete the following sentences on the worksheet:
I need courage to… (Examples: Talk to my friends about Christ; to love the person who did something bad to me; to not tell lies; to be obedient to my parents and teachers, etc.)
I have courage knowing that . . . (God is with me; that Christ is my Savior; that his angels take care of me; that my parents love me, etc.)
Encourage the group to take home their activities to share the lesson with their families and friends.
practice the memory verse
Tell the children: “According to the memory verse, who forms the body of Christ?” After they have answered, have them say the verse and repeat it two or three times so they will not forget it.
wrap-up
Pray
Do not forget to pray with your students, and ask them not to forget what they learned.
Encourage
Remind the students that they are not alone. If during the week they need courage to do something difficult, do not doubt that God will help them and give them courage.
Invite
Thank your group for their attendance and announce something about the next lesson to increase their interest. Encourage them to invite others to attend the sessions.
* Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™