HOLY SPIRIT ROLES AND FUNCTIONS ACTS 1

Theophilus, in Greek, just means "LOVER of God." Some believe that Theophilus is a pseudonym for the church. This refers to how the church loved the Lord.

So, he's writing to the early church, but more than likely, he's writing to an actual person that Theophilus was a real individual.

The book of Acts is called Acts of the Apostles. Now, in some of your Bibles, it might just simply say Acts in my New King James Version. It actually says Acts of the Apostles.

Why? Because it documents the ACTIVITIES, MINISTRY, and MIRACLES that God performed through the apostles in the first century.

ACTS CHAPTER 1:

If you have your Bible, open it there to Acts 1.

The Book of Acts is somewhat of an epilogue.

Chapter 1 CONCLUDES Jesus's earthly ministry before he is taken back and before he ascends back to heaven.

Chapter 1: He gives a CHARGE to His Disciples.

In this Chapter, The Book of Acts 1, HE GIVES A CHARGE TO HIS DISCIPLES.

He's basically saying to them, "I'm handing you the Baton of my ministry and my message, and I want you now to go throughout the earth, starting locally in Jerusalem and then moving out to the province of Judea and Samaria, and He adds to the ends of the Earth so that people might hear the good news of what Jesus has done.”

So, JESUS COMMISSIONS THEM, HE CHARGES THEM.

And NOW WE'RE SEEING THE BIRTH OF THE CHURCH, THE BIRTH OF THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH.

WE ARE LIVING IN THE CHURCH AGE.

THE CHURCH AGE IS THE TIME BETWEEN WHEN JESUS ASCENDED BACK TO HEAVEN AND WHEN HE'S COMING AGAIN.

He charges starting with his disciples, but all of us who are followers of Christ should go out, starting with our own locality and then branching beyond until the whole world hears.

COMMISSION:

So, this is that charge. This is that commission.

We see that charge in Verse 8 of Chapter One. Acts 1:8

“But you shall RECEIVE POWER when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Jesus said, I want you to go out, starting in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the end of the earth, and share the good news of my message.

He knows that to do this, WE NEED SOMETHING, AND WE NEED POWER.

WE NEED THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, and that's why he says right there, "You shall receive POWER when the Holy Spirit has COME UPON YOU, AND YOU SHALL BE WITNESSES."

WE SEE WE CAN’T EFFECTIVELY BE HIS WITNESSES WITHOUT HIS POWER.

POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT:

JESUS KNOWS AS HE HANDS THE BATON OF MINISTRY TO HIS FOLLOWERS.

1. THAT TO BE EFFECTIVE WITNESSES IN THE WORLD,

2. BE BOLD IN OUR FAITH.

3. AND HAVE ANY SENSE OF VICTORY OVER SIN AND TEMPTATION, WE NEED THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

4. VESSELS THAT GOD CAN USE.

So, Jesus commissions and charges the early church with this directive.

MARTYRS: WITNESSES

Here we are some 2000 years later, and thousands of Martyrs later, who literally laid down their lives and shed their blood for the cause of Christ to spread this good news that Jesus loves the world, and that Jesus died for every sinner in the world so that we might have our sins forgiven and go to heaven when we die.

In fact, in this verse, Jesus says, "You shall be my Witnesses."

Circle that in your Bibles because, in the ORIGINAL GREEK LANGUAGE, it is the word MARTUS, m-a-r-t-u-s.

We get our English word martyr from that word.

The real definition of a witness for Jesus is to be prepared to die for Jesus.

We are here today because many have laid down their lives for the cause of Christ.

IN ORDER FOR THE DISCIPLES TO BE EQUIPPED WITH THE ABILITY TO SPREAD THIS GOOD NEWS OFTEN IN THE FACE OF PERSECUTION AND DEATH, THEY WOULD NEED, AS DO WE, THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT THAT JESUS SPEAKS ABOUT HERE IN VERSE 8.

VESSELS:

God still does miraculous things on Earth today through human vessels, the power of God's spirit, but it's for his glory. We're just the vessels.

Listen to Second Corinthians 4:7. 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.

So, there it is: we are vessels of his power to still be used in the world today for his glory and for miraculous things.

WHO IS THE HOLY SPIRIT?

Now, in order to understand this, WE HAVE TO HAVE A BASELINE UNDERSTANDING OF WHO THE HOLY SPIRIT IS.

In the Gospel of John, between chapters 14 and 16.

Jesus spent some time discussing who the Holy Spirit is, His availability, and His role.

So, WHO IS THE HOLY SPIRIT? These are three quick points.

1. First of all, the Holy Spirit is THE THIRD PERSON OF THE TRINITY.

WE WORSHIP ONE GOD -- who reveals Himself in a plurality of three persons -- God the Father, God the Son, Jesus, and God the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is the principal part of the godhead that we're looking at throughout the Book of Acts.

Now, I reference Genesis 1:26 and 27 because the first time you see God referring to himself in plural form is in Genesis 1:26. Listen to the plural pronouns.

God said, "Let US make man in our image according to our likeness," and the plural pronoun reflects the fact that God is one God who reveals himself in three persons.

What's interesting is the very next verse, Genesis 1:27, switches to a singular pronoun, and it speaks. Hence, God created man in HIS own image in the image of God; He created them male and female he created them.

So, the combination of plural pronouns in Genesis 1:26 and singular pronouns in the very next verse is an indication to us that God reveals himself in three persons, but he is One Singular God.

2. THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS ALWAYS EXISTED as co-equal and co-eternal with God because He Is God.

The Holy Spirit has always existed because he's part of the Godhead, and Genesis 1:2, the second verse of the Bible, refers to the Holy Spirit.

At the time of creation, it says, the Earth was without form and void, and darkness was on the face of the deep, and the spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

So, the Holy Spirit has always been present, being co-equal co-eternal with God because he is God. Numbers 11:25, Judges 6:34, 1 Samuel 16:13, Isaiah 61:1.

3. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS NOT AN “IT” OR JUST A FORCE HE HAS ALL THE ATTRIBUTES OF PERSONALITY.

The Bible records these things: HE HAS A MIND.

First Corinthians 2:11, Paul wrote for what man knows the things of a man except for the spirit of the man which is in him; even so, no one knows the things of God except the spirit of God.

The Holy Spirit has a mind. He knows the things of God.

HE HAS A WILL regarding the gifts of the Spirit.

Paul wrote in First Corinthians 12:11, But one in the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as he Wills as the Holy Spirit determines.

And also, HE HAS AN EMOTION.

In Ephesians 4:30, Paul says do not GRIEVE THE HOLY SPIRIT of God by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

WE GRIEVE THE HOLY SPIRIT WHEN WE SIN AGAINST GOD, AND SO THE HOLY SPIRIT IS GRIEVED—THAT'S EMOTION.

He has all the attributes of personality, and thus, we don't refer to the Holy Spirit as “it” or just some kind of force.

So, THIS IS THE HOLY SPIRIT ABOUT WHOM JESUS SAID MUCH IN JOHN 14 TO 16.

THE ROLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT:

Now, we'll examine the Role (function, responsibility) of the Holy Spirit in the Book of Acts.

JOHN 14:

I want to walk you through some of the things that Jesus said, starting in John 14.

So, when you look in the scriptures and see what Jesus said in John chapter 14, I want you to notice that the timeline is important.

John chapter 14 is part of this Upper Room discourse.

This is when Jesus has this private conversation with his disciples in the upper room just before He's crucified.

In your Bibles, you can follow along, and you can circle some of these words.

Here's what Jesus said: John 14:16-17.

He says, and 16 I will pray the Father, and He will give you another helper that He may abide with you forever -- 17 the spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees Him nor knows Him, but you know Him for He dwells WITH YOU and will be IN YOU.

All right, notice THOSE FINAL WORDS THERE.

TWO WORDS IN GREEK WERE USED IN THE TEXT.

Two Greek words are used here as prepositions that CAPTURE ASPECTS OF THE ROLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT RIGHT FROM JESUS'S LIPS.

1. THE FIRST WORD YOU CAN CIRCLE IN YOUR BIBLE IS THE WORDS WITH YOU. – TO BE NEAR US

In GREEK, IT IS PARA.

P-a-r-a, and IT MEANS WITH NEAR OR AROUND.

Notice Jesus says there that the Holy Spirit and he uses the pronouns not ‘it’, it's not a force He is part of the godhead.

Now that's present tense. HOLY SPIRIT DWELLS WITH YOU.

Para, in other words, the Holy Spirit is around you, near you, and He helps us to understand.

The first role of the Holy Spirit in a person's life is to be…

NEAR US, AROUND US, WITH US, DRAWING US, INFLUENCING US, WOOING US, WHISPERING TO US, AND LEADING US TO THE SAVING KNOWLEDGE OF JESUS CHRIST.

NO ONE COMES TO FAITH IN JESUS EXCEPT THAT FIRST, THE HOLY SPIRIT WORKS ON US, INFLUENCING US AND WOOING US INTO A RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS.

That's the first thing the Holy Spirit does.

That's why Jesus used the present tense:

He's with you, around you, working, and moving in your hearts.

This is the aspect of the Holy Spirit working on us to bring us to the saving knowledge of Jesus.

In fact, Jesus said in John 6:44, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.”

And God uses the Holy Spirit to draw us.

1 Corinthians 12:3 states, "3 Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit."

So that's the first Ministry/Role of the Holy Spirit working with us, around and near us, influencing us, whispering to and drawing us -- so that we would finally surrender and receive Christ as our savior.

2. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS IN YOU. – TO BE DWELLING

In that same verse, Jesus also instructs his disciples about the work of the Holy Spirit.

He uses the future tense and says, "The Holy Spirit WILL BE IN YOU," and that's the SECOND PREPOSITION.

It's the Greek word EN. In Greek, en means IN OR WITHIN.

Jesus used the future tense to speak to his disciples, who were present BEFORE JESUS WENT TO THE CROSS.

He's talking about a time, not many days later, when they would believe in Jesus as Savior and receive the Holy Spirit.

JOHN 20:

Now, WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN? Jump over to John chapter 20 in your Bible.

John chapter 20. I want you to see just a couple of verses that Jesus shares with his disciples.

Jesus has already risen from the dead, so he's been crucified and buried three days later.

He rose from the dead and appears to His disciples here in John chapter 20.

In John 20, we read this starting in verse 19, Then the same day at evening being the first day of the week when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst and said to them peace be with you and when he had said this he showed them his hands and his side and then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.

Okay, they're looking at the marks of his crucifixion, right?

In verse 21, while in his resurrected, glorified body, Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you as the Father has sent me; I also send you."

Verse 22: HE COMMISSIONS THEM TO GO INTO THE WORLD.

This is critical, and when he says this, he breathes on them and says to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit."

Okay, so now, what we read in John 14, where Jesus said the Holy Spirit dwells with you and will be in you, is when the Holy Spirit comes in them.

For all intents and purposes, this moment in JOHN 20 IS WHEN THE DISCIPLES BECOME BORN AGAIN.

THIS IS WHEN THEY BECOME BELIEVERS IN JESUS.

Now, you would be correct in saying, "Well, wait. They already knew who he was, and that is true."

Matthew 16, I mean, they're already declaring, and Peter was the first one to lead the charge.

You're the Christ, the son of the Living God.

THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT HIS DISCIPLES ACTUALLY PUT THEIR FAITH IN HIM AS THE RISEN SAVIOR; YOU'RE THE MESSIAH.

They knew who Jesus was; they had already believed in him as Messiah, but John 20, Jesus, who had now died on the cross for their sins and risen from the dead.

Do you see this?

So, in John 20, this is the first time they actually put their faith IN THE RISEN LORD WHO HAS RISEN FROM THE DEAD HAVING DIED FOR THEIR SINS.

Okay, and it's in this moment that He breathes on them, and the Holy Spirit comes in them, and that's what's important to understand.

*HERE IS THE TRUTH: AT THE MOMENT OF OUR CONVERSION, WHEN WE RECEIVE CHRIST AS LORD AND SAVIOR, THE HOLY SPIRIT COMES IN US.

OKAY, YOU GET FATHER, SON, AND HOLY SPIRIT. THE HOLY SPIRIT COMES TO DWELL IN US AT THE MOMENT OF CONVERSION.

The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 3:16, "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the spirit of God dwells in you?"

Romans 8:11, but if the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

So, verse after verse talks about how, when you become a believer in Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in you.

*NOW, HEAR ME ON THIS—BECAUSE THIS IS WHERE THINGS GET A LITTLE DICEY AND DIVISIVE IN THE BODY OF CHRIST TODAY.

I KNOW THAT THERE ARE MANY CHRISTIANS WHO BELIEVE THAT WHEN YOU GET SAVED, AND YOU GET THE HOLY SPIRIT, THAT'S ALL YOU NEED OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

Listen, if that were the case, then why is it that after Jesus breathes on them in John 20 and says, "Receive the Holy Spirit," 40 days later, when He's about to ascend, He says in Acts 1:8, "I want you to wait for the gift my Father promised because, in a few days, you'll be baptized with the Holy Spirit?"

Wait a minute, I thought they got the Holy Spirit in John chapter 20.

Oh, but that tells us you see that THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE INDWELLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AT THE TIME OF CONVERSION AND THE OVERFLOWING, FULLNESS, AND POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT SUBSEQUENT TO SALVATION.

3. Jesus uses a third preposition in Acts 1:8 to describe the difference between the indwelling of the spirit in John 20 and the overflowing, powerful work of the spirit in Acts 1:8.

Here's the third preposition Jesus uses…

He says there, but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem and Judean Samaria to the end of the Earth.

CIRCLE IN YOUR BIBLES THE WORD UPON. To be ON or OVER.

This is the Greek word for epi -- it means upon, on, or over.

This is what is meant by the term or the phrase the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is when the fullness of the Spirit comes UPON us and OVERWHELMS us.

In Acts 1:5, Jesus says, "Therefore John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."

THE BIBLE DISTINGUISHES BETWEEN THE INDWELLING SPIRIT AT THE TIME OF CONVERSION AND THE OVERFLOWING EMPOWERING WORK OF THE SPIRIT SUBSEQUENT TO SALVATION.

AS WE READ THROUGH THE BOOK OF ACTS, WE WILL SEE HOW THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT CAME UPON PEOPLE.

THERE ARE TIMES WHEN PEOPLE WERE ALREADY BELIEVERS IN JESUS, BUT THAT SECOND WORK -- THAT OVERFLOWING FULLNESS OF THE SPIRIT CAME UPON THEM.

This is important for us to understand too because I HOPE THAT YOU WOULD WANT THAT.

Again, there are some of you who are living what you might refer to as a nominal Christian Life.

NO POWER CHRISTIANS:

There are a lot of Christians who are saved.

They're on their way to heaven.

They're born again, but they're living powerless lives.

They're struggling to have victory over sin.

They are unable to be bold with their witness.

They are tired of running the race.

They wonder if there's anything more to this Christian life than waiting for Jesus' return.

I'M HERE TO TELL YOU ABOUT THE FULLNESS OF GOD'S SPIRIT, WHICH EMPOWERS US TO SERVICE WITH GIFTS AND THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT.

THERE IS MORE, AND I PRAY THAT YOU WILL WANT THE FULLNESS OF GOD'S SPIRIT IN YOUR LIFE.

I PRAY THAT OUR CHURCH WOULD WANT TO SEE THE FULLNESS OF GOD'S SPIRIT IN OUR CHURCH.

CLOSING: THE AVAILABILITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

And so, I close with this verse: If you wonder, "Well, how do I get that?"

It really is not complicated in Luke 11:11-13.

11 If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish?

12 Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?

13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

It is asking God to baptize me with your Holy Spirit. May I receive the fullness and the power of your spirit and watch what God will do for the asking amen.

The Holy Spirit is the wind in our sails, propelling us towards God’s mission.

We are lanterns; the Holy Spirit ignites our flame to shine His light in the world.

The Holy Spirit is God's GPS, guiding us to spread His love and truth.

The document is an introduction to the Book of Acts in the Bible, discussing the authorship, themes, and significance of the book, as well as the importance of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers.

1. Authorship and Continuation: The Book of Acts is written by Luke, the same author of the Gospel of Luke, and serves as a continuation or sequel to his Gospel.

Luke, a Gentile physician and companion of Paul, addresses both works to Theophilus.

2. Jesus' Commission: In Acts 1:8, Jesus commissions His disciples to spread the Gospel from Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria to the ends of the earth.

He emphasizes the necessity of the Holy Spirit's power to be effective witnesses.

3. Role of the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit is essential for believers to be bold in their faith, resist sin, and be vessels for God's miraculous purposes.

The Holy Spirit is described as the third person of the Trinity, co-equal and co-eternal with God, possessing a mind, will, and emotions.

4. Indwelling and Empowering: At conversion, the Holy Spirit indwells believers, but Jesus also speaks of a subsequent empowering or baptism of the Holy Spirit, which provides the fullness and power needed for effective ministry and victorious Christian living.

5. Receiving the Holy Spirit: Believers are encouraged to ask God for the fullness of the Holy Spirit, as described in Luke 11:11-13.

This involves seeking the baptism of the Holy Spirit to experience His power and guidance in their lives.

Related Media

Related Sermons

Earn an accredited degree from Redemption Seminary with Logos.