(Note: For remote participants and BFG leaders, these questions are meant to be used in conjunction with the pastor’s sermon. Attempting to use these questions absent the sermon’s teaching could lead to unbiblical or unhelpful conclusions.)

Screen Notes
I. We must partner well with other churches.
II. Two ways to fail to partner well with other churches: 

• Too much partnership—unbiblical hierarchy
• Not enough partnership—isolation 

III. How do we partner well? Remember the Lordship of Jesus Christ and the unity of the Holy Spirit.
 
For Kids
In Acts 11, we see Christians from different churches work together for the cause of Christ.  

• In what ways did the churches in Acts 11 work together? 
• How does working together help God’s work in the world? 
• What can happen when churches serve alone? 

For Discussion
Sermon Recap:  

• [Leader: Read through Acts 11:19–30 as a group.] 
• [Leader: Ask if anyone has any initial thoughts or comments on the passage.] 
• In what ways does Acts 11:19–30 show different churches working together for the gospel of Christ?  
  • Do you think this behavior is simply descriptive of the church then or should we understand cooperation between churches as a prescriptive command now? What evidence leads you to your conclusion?  
  • In what ways have you witnessed biblical cooperation between churches?  
• What errors might people make when considering the cooperation seen in Acts 11:19–30?  
  • Baptists practice church autonomy. What does that mean and how does it help prevent unbiblical hierarchies among churches?  
  • What limitations to church autonomy might someone try to correct by instituting a more hierarchical structure?  
  • Why is it important for Christians today to be able to discern between biblical and unbiblical cooperation?  
• How does a healthy relationship to Christ keep a church from exercising authoritative overreach toward other churches while also keeping them from isolating themselves from other churches?   

 
  Going Deeper-Theological Triage
Theological triage is an extra-biblical concept that gives us a framework for applying biblical principles. It helps us know how we can cooperate with other churches in a God-honoring way.  

• Let’s look at each “level of triage” and discuss right and wrong ways to apply each.  
  • Primary doctrines (first order) — Someone read 1 Corinthians 15:3–5.  
    • What doctrines should we consider primary?  
    • What does cooperation look like according to this category? [We can only cooperate in spiritual matters with those who agree with us on primary doctrines.] 
  • Secondary doctrines (second order)— [Leader: These secondary doctrines take further study to unpack than small group time allows. Explain to your group that there are certain doctrines that have been debated by genuine Christians for centuries but are not essential to the faith.  While they are not essential, they are still very important.] 
    • What doctrines might fall in this category? [mode (not meaning) of baptism (Acts 2:41–42), church government (1 Tim. 3:1–13), elements/order of worship (1 Cor. 11–14), continuation/cessation of the “sign gifts” of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 14:18–19), church discipline (Matt. 18:15–20), others]  
    • What does cooperation look like according to this category? [We can cooperate in many ways, so long as they don’t require the normal, ongoing worship of the church. For example, we might hold an occasional joint worship service or missions project but we cannot observe the ordinance of baptism with those who disagree with us on baptism.]  
  • Tertiary doctrines (third order)—Someone read Romans 14:1–6.  
    • What doctrines might fall in this category? [eschatology, age of the earth, varying interpretations of difficult passages in Scripture, ideas about music, others] 
    • What does cooperation look like according to this category? [We can have a normal, functioning church with these people and engage in robust theological conversation on these issues.] 

Application

1. How should you relate to Christians of different denominations?  
2. What steps can you take this week to help foster unity in the body of Christ?  
3. What cautions might you need to take when considering other Christian denominations/churches?  

Questions are welcome! Post them in the Sermon Discussion group of our WhatsApp chat community.