The Gift of the Holy Spirit

Sunday, July 21, 2024

Start with Application Testimony

[Give people an opportunity to share testimonies of what they did with last week’s question]

Last week’s question: How will you practice trusting God in your relationships this week? (Think work, friendships, community, family)

INTRO

Paul just concluded his second missionary journey, having gone back to visit Jerusalem and then returning to Antioch.

He left Silas a Timothy behind in Macedonia and Achaia

He left Priscilla and Aquila behind in Ephesus

A new leader, Apollos, has moved into Corinth to continue spreading the Gospel, after having been trained and encouraged by Priscilla and Aquila in Ephesus

Paul is now on his third missionary journey

He once again traveled through the regions where he and Barnabas had planted churches on their first missionary journey, in order to check-in with them and strengthen them (encouragement and teaching)

He is now returning to Ephesus, where he had promised to return “if God wills,” (Acts 18:21) back when he had passed through there on his way back home

READ

Question to consider as we read:

What is the work of the Holy Spirit?

Acts 19:1–20 CSB

1 While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior regions and came to Ephesus. He found some disciples 2 and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” “No,” they told him, “we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” 3 “Into what then were you baptized?” he asked them. “Into John’s baptism,” they replied. 4 Paul said, “John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people that they should believe in the one who would come after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5 When they heard this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began to speak in tongues and to prophesy. 7 Now there were about twelve men in all. 8 Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly over a period of three months, arguing and persuading them about the kingdom of God. 9 But when some became hardened and would not believe, slandering the Way in front of the crowd, he withdrew from them, taking the disciples, and conducted discussions every day in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. 10 This went on for two years, so that all the residents of Asia, both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord. 11 God was performing extraordinary miracles by Paul’s hands, 12 so that even facecloths or aprons that had touched his skin were brought to the sick, and the diseases left them, and the evil spirits came out of them. 13 Now some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists also attempted to pronounce the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I command you by the Jesus that Paul preaches!” 14 Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish high priest, were doing this. 15 The evil spirit answered them, “I know Jesus, and I recognize Paul—but who are you?” 16 Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them, overpowered them all, and prevailed against them, so that they ran out of that house naked and wounded. 17 When this became known to everyone who lived in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks, they became afraid, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high esteem. 18 And many who had become believers came confessing and disclosing their practices, 19 while many of those who had practiced magic collected their books and burned them in front of everyone. So they calculated their value and found it to be fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20 In this way the word of the Lord spread and prevailed.

EXAMINE

What are the key points in this passage?

#1 | There were believers who had repentance but not the Holy Spirit

Acts 19:4–6 “4 Paul said, “John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people that they should believe in the one who would come after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5 When they heard this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began to speak in tongues and to prophesy.”

These twelve believers were incomplete - they had received the first part of the Gospel (repentance and forgiveness) but had not yet received the full message and the full gift (the indwelling of the Holy Spirit)

This interaction reinforces that being inhabited and empowered by the Holy Spirit is the new birthright of every believer

Consider the words of Peter earlier in Acts 2:38–39 ...“Repent and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

Consider Paul’s later words to Ephesus in Ephesians 1:13–14 “In him you also were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed. 14 The Holy Spirit is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of the possession, to the praise of his glory.”

The Holy Spirit 1) is the proof that God has received us as His children 2) is always pointing everyone to Jesus 3) empowers Christians to do the work of the Gospel (John 15:26; Luke 24:49; Galatians 3:2-6)

#2 | The difference the Holy Spirit makes: Seven men vs. cloth

Acts 19:11–12 God was performing extraordinary miracles by Paul’s hands, 12 so that even facecloths or aprons that had touched his skin were brought to the sick, and the diseases left them, and the evil spirits came out of them. Acts 19:13 ...some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists also attempted to pronounce the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits… Acts 19:15–16 The evil spirit answered them, “I know Jesus, and I recognize Paul—but who are you?” ...they ran out of that house naked and wounded.”

Think about it: the Holy Spirit was able to do more through Paul’s cloths than the combined effort of seven men

Note that significance of the number 7, which carries the idea of completion or perfection - you could think of their attempt as the maximum possible amount of human effort

This story also emphasizes how the Holy Spirit marks us, because the evil spirit could “recognize” the difference between Paul and these seven others (Romans 8:14-15)

#3 | The Holy Spirit points people to Christ, and they turn away from other powers and provisions

Acts 19:17–20 When this became known to everyone… the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high esteem. 18 And many who had become believers came confessing and disclosing their practices, 19 while many of those who had practiced magic collected their books and burned them in front of everyone. So they calculated their value and found it to be fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20 In this way the word of the Lord spread and prevailed.”

When these new believers heard how this evil spirit feared Jesus, but not men, the realized the true power and authority of Jesus

As a result they no longer had faith in the things they had previously relied upon for power, protection, and provision

By giving up their “trade secrets” and source materials, these new Christians were giving up things that had provided wealth and security for themselves (1)

APPLY

Explore and apply the passage with these questions:

[Allow the conversation to go where people take it - we want people to feel the liberty to explore the topics of the passage that stand out to them. Select the questions from below that you think are right for the conversation, or add your own. Questions should be focused, yet open-ended. Wherever the conversation goes, help your group “land the plane” on the core idea of the lesson when you wrap up.]

How have you experienced the Holy Spirit working through you or someone else?

What questions do you have about the Holy Spirit, after reading this passage?

In what ways do we neglect the gift of the Holy Spirit? And why? (Consider 1 Timothy 4:14-15 & Galatians 5:22-25)

Where we want to “land the plane”

When we believed the Gospel, we received the Holy Spirit and were equipped with God’s power as a gift of His Spirit. Therefore we cannot neglect this gift, because it is how Jesus has enabled us to advance His Kingdom and bring freedom to the lives of others.

Application question for the Week

[Encourage people to provide an answer now, if they are able - to provide an opportunity for accountability and praise reports the following week.]

How are you going to put the gift of the Holy Spirit into practice this week?

REFLECT

Prayer Points for Today

Pray for a fresh filling with the Holy Spirit today

FOOTNOTES

Many Christians had also been involved in sorcery and spiritism and they openly confessed their evil deeds. The noun translated “deeds” is praxeis, which probably describes magical spells and formulas. Giving out these secrets would cause them to lose their power. Furthermore, many publicly burned their manuals of sorcery. In sorcery, people by the assistance of demons sought to gain power over others. The word translated drachmas is actually argyriou and simply means “silver”; consequently the value of the coins is unknown. But 50,000 silver coins was a large sum. Stanley D. Toussaint, “Acts,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 410–411.