Sermon notes to come.

And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.

On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”—Acts 4:1–12

Sermon Discussion Questions

Main Point: The central message of Christianity is that Jesus alone saves.

Outline

1. Arrest (Acts 4:1–4)
2. Trial (Acts 4:5–7)
3. Response (Acts 4:8–12)

Discussion Questions

• Who were the Sadducees? Why were they so greatly grieved or annoyed by the preaching of Peter and John? (Acts 4:1)
• In the effort to stop the spread of Christianity, why was it so futile to arrest the apostles? (Acts 4:4)
• How is the unbelief of the Sadducees similar to modern day responses?
• How was Peter able to address the Sanhedrin in such a powerful way? (Acts 4:8)
• How does Peter show the unreasonableness of unbelief? (Acts 4:9–10)
• Why was Psalm 118 such a perfect passage for Peter to quote? (Acts 4:11)

Application Questions

• How is the unbelief and persecution we see in Acts 4 similar to the unbelief and persecution we see today? Have you faced it? How have you responded?
• How is Christianity fundamentally different than all world religions? How does the message of Acts 4:12 function as the affirmation that judges everything that claims to be Christian? Do you embrace the full truth of Acts 4:12?

Prayer Focus
Pray for a grace to receive Jesus fully and preach Jesus boldly.