The Gospel Project: The Spirit Enables
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Intro Option 2:
Q. What is the craziest weather event you’ve ever experienced?
Q. How many of you are terrified of bad weather? Why?
Q. What do you think the weather reveals about God?
We’ve probably all experienced some crazy weather
It’s a reminder of how small we are and of how powerful God is
Throughout Scripture God spoke through wind, fire, weather and so on
But one of the most amazing encounters happened in Acts when God sent the Holy Spirit in a rushing wind and falling fire,
Main Point: The disciples receive the power of the Holy Spirit
Jesus’s disciples witness God’s plan
1 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place.
Roughly seven weeks had passed since Jesus was resurrected during Passover
Pentecost was 50 days later
It was a time for Jews to gather and thank God for blessing them with food from the earth
Pentecost was also closely tied to Moses receiving the law from God on Mount Sinai; also roughly fifty days after Passover.
God gave the law to guide His people on Pentecost, and He then gave the Spirit to guide all believers during this same celebration.
Q. Why do you think God chose Pentecost to send the Holy Spirit? What does this reveal about God?
Our God is purposeful
He is creative in all He does
Of all days or times, God chose Pentecost to send the Holy Spirit
This wasn’t a coincidence!
Pentecost was a time to celebrate God’s provision, but it was also a time to remember when He gave the law to Moses
The spirit doesn’t cancel the law, but it enables believers to hear God directly and follow the law because Christ now lives within us
The law is not written in stone, but in our hearts
Q. What is the difference between following the law and being guided by the Holy Spirit?
Some of us are really good at following rules
We even fall into the trap of believing if we are “good enough” or if we follow all the rules, then we can be right with God
Following rules never could save us
The law points us to our need for Christ because of our sin
It is our guide, and it reveals God’s intentions for us, but the spirit enables us to live for Jesus
Without it, we are completely powerless
Main Point: The disciples receive the power of the Holy Spirit
Jesus’s disciples witness God’s plan
Jesus’s disciples are filled with the Holy Spirit
2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven.
Imagine how it must have felt like for the people present to experience the Holy Spirit for the first time
Until this point, people knew God mostly through the law and Scripture
God sometimes temporarily gave the Spirit to certain people in so they could complete a task
But now the Spirit of God permanently moved into the hearts of all believers, enabling them to do things they never dreamed possible
Q. How does the Holy Spirit still equip believers to do miraculous things today?
The Holy Spirit who fell on believers in Acts 2 is the same Holy Spirit dwelling in your heart today
God is unchanging
So we have to wonder then-what has changed?
Do we rely on the Holy Spirit as much as these men did?
Are we as sensitive to the Holy Spirit as they were?
If not, then this could potentially limit His working in our lives
Q. What is the evidence in your life of receiving the Holy Spirit?
When the believers received the Holy Spirit it was undeniable
Everyone around them knew something supernatural had occured
Tongues of fire may not land on each one of us, but when we proclaim Christ as Lord and receive the Holy Spirit, there should be a notable change in our lives.
People should be able to tell Christ is living within us by the way we live, talk, act, and treat others.
Main Point: The disciples receive the power of the Holy Spirit
Jesus’s disciples witness God’s plan
Jesus’s disciples are filled with the Holy Spirit
Jesus’ disciples reveal God’s works
6 And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. 7 And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, 11 both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” 12 And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”
The message of the Gospel is for every person, but the disciples were limited in their ability to share this message with others because of language differences
Instead of giving everyone the ability to hear one language, God gave the disciples the ability to speak the languages of the listeners
God miraculously met them where they were, and He still meets us where we are too
Q. What has the Holy Spirit enabled you to do that you couldn’t do on your own?
Maybe the Holy Spirit enabled you to speak up about your faith, or maybe He helped you make the right decision in the middle of peer pressure
The Holy Spirit is with you
He helps you do more than you could ever do without Him
Q. How can you respond when others criticize the Holy Spirit’s moving in your life (v. 13)?
Most of us don’t want to be criticized or misunderstood, but Jesus promised this would happen to believers
Religious leaders not only misunderstood Jesus, but they humiliated Him and cricified Him
Those who don’t have the Holy Spirit within them can’t understand the things of God because it seems crazy to them
But we can be encouraged because God does understand us
He gives us courage and grace to walk through situations when our family and friends may criticize our faith
Christ Connection:
Jesus had instructed His disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit because He would empower them to be His witnesses on earth. Just as Jesus promised, the Holy Spirit came on the disciples, filled them, and empowered them to complete the mission they had been given. God gives the Holy Spirit to all who trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior, and the Spirit changes us to be more like Jesus.
Head: How should the Holy Spirit living inside of you transform your mind?
Once you give your life to Christ, He makes a home inside of you
God has always wanted to dwell with His people
… first through walking with Adam and Eve
Then through the tabernacle and the temple
Next through sending Jesus
And now through the Holy Spirit
Knowing God desires to live within us should radically change our minds. He enables us to think like Him and to view others the way He views them.
Heart: What can you do when you don’t feel the Holy Spirit?
God created us with emotions to guide us and help us relate to Him and to one another
But the danger in our emotions is that we sometimes allow the to dictate whether or not we feel God’s presence
God is always with us
Sometimes we make decisions-such as not spending time with God-that can make him feel far away
During seasons when you son’t feel God is near, you can continue to do the things that bring you into his presence-reading God’s word, praying, worshiping, and spending time with godly community
Hands: What needs to change so others clearly see Christ living inside of you
If the Holy Spirit lives within us because we are God’s children, then our lives should produce fruit
When fruit grows on a tree, it’s obvious
You can see it as it grow; it’s tangible
Our faith should also be visible to others as it grows
The only way to produce spiritual fruit is to stay in step with the Spirit, allowing Him to produce these good things in us.