Unbelievable Faith

Bottomline: Jesus has made a way for the Holy Spirit to empower us to live by faith.

Intro-Unbelievable moments

Kite intro

Acts 1:1–5 NIV

In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

We believe in one God in three persons—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—who created all things visible and invisible, and out of chaos created order. We believe God is fully revealed in the Lord Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born to the virgin Mary and lived on earth as both fully human and fully divine. We believe the Holy Spirit leads us into all truth, convicts us of sin, leads us to and incorporates us into Christ, and empowers us for Christian witness. , ,

The Spirit is a person and not merely a force.

God’s Spirit is personally present in all of creation and is sent out to Jesus' followers to bring about the new creation.

The Spirit is a person and not merely a force. But, when we start on page one of the bible, before creation ever even began, we see a depiction of the spirit of God hovering over the dark, disordered waters of the earth, ready to begin spreading goodness and creation. In the Bible, any time we see a description of the spirit of God, such as what is depicted in the first few verses of the Bible, the Hebrew word "ruakh" is used. Ruakh can describe an invisible, powerful energy, and necessary for life, making it a fitting description for the spirit of God.

John 14:26 NIV

But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

John 15:26–27 NIV

“When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.

John 16:7 NIV

But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.

John 16:13 NIV

But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

When we receive Jesus as Lord, we receive the greatest gift. We receive the Holy Spirit.

When we receive Jesus as Lord, we receive the greatest gift. We receive the Holy Spirit.

In the past you went to the temple to experience the presence of God. After the resurrection and Pentecost, you are temple and presence of God is present in you.

Pentecost was a pilgrimage festival....50 days after passover....harvest celebration

Acts 2:1–13 NIV

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?” Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”

You used to go to the temple to experience the presence of God. After the resurrection and Pentecost, you are temple and presence of God is present in you.

When we receive Jesus as Lord, we receive the greatest gift. We receive the Holy Spirit.

When we receive Jesus as Lord, we receive the greatest gift. We receive the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 3:16 NIV

Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?

1 Corinthians 6:19–20 NIV

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

Why we should seek the Holy Spirit....

Jesus gave it as a gift

He will bring you peace

Give you guidance

Healing Happens

Unbelievable things can still happen today if we seek the Spirit.

John 14:12–13 NIV

Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

Luke 11:11–13 NIV

“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Unbelievable things can still happen today if we seek the Spirit.

Acts 2:36–41 NIV

“Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

Repent. Be baptized. Live by the spirit.

“The church becomes irrelevant when it becomes purely a human creation. We are not all we were made to be when everything in our lives and churches can be explained apart from the work and presence of the Spirit of God.” – Francis Chan