The Birth of a Movement 15 Apr 18

What happened at Pentecost?

1. The Spirit’s presence became permanent
2. The Spirit began to dwell inside of us

The Holy Spirit:

1. Gives us boldness
2. Grows the church
3. Sanctifies the church

Scripture used: Acts 1:4-5, Acts 1:8, Acts 2:1-17, Acts 2:22-24, Acts 2:36-41; Romans 8:16; Ezekiel 36:26-27

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1. Have you ever been part of a movement?  Did the movement have a gathering or a protest?  What were you trying to accomplish?
2. Why did God give us the book of Acts?
   • In other words, for what purpose did God lead Luke to write the book?
   • Do you agree with Troy that much of Acts is descriptive and not prescriptive?
3. Read Acts 2:1-13.
   • What was the purpose of the believers speaking in tongues?  How did the people of Jerusalem react to this miracle from the Holy Spirit?  Would you respond more like those in verse 12, or those in verse 13?
4. Read Acts 2:14-24.
   • Why would Peter use so many quotations from the Old Testament?  What was he trying to show the people? What does the phrase “it was impossible for death to hold him” mean?
5. Read Acts 2:36-41.
   • These were some of the same people who heard the works of Jesus and saw his miracles and crucified him anyway.  Why do you think these words finally brought repentance to them and cut them to the heart?
6. Since the Holy Spirit was working in mankind before Pentecost, what changed after Pentecost?  Read Ezekiel 36:26-27 for more insight.
7. Read 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.
   • As a believer, discuss the ways the Holy Spirit guides and protects you on a daily basis.  What do you think your life and the world would be like without the presence of the Holy Spirit?

DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS:

Day 1: Acts 1:1-11

Day 2: Acts 1:12-26

Day 3: Acts 2:1-13

Day 4: Acts 2:14-41

Day 5: Acts 2:42-47

Day 6: Acts 3:1-10

Day 7: Acts 3:11-26

DIGGING DEEPER VERSES:

Romans 8:8-11

v.8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

v.9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ

v.10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness.

v.11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

ABC’s

Author: Romans 1:1 identifies the author of the Book of Romans as the apostle Paul. Romans 16:22 indicates that Paul used a man named Tertius to transcribe his words.

Background:  Paul’s purpose in writing was to encourage and edify the believers who would receive this letter. He did this by proclaiming the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul was particularly concerned with those to whom this letter was written. This letter was written to those in Rome who were “loved by God and called to be saints” (Romans 1:7). Being that he himself was a Roman citizen, he had a great and unique passion for believers in Rome. This letter was his introduction to the church in Rome since he has never visited up to this point.

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Context: The Book of Romans makes it clear that there is nothing we can do to save ourselves. Every “good” deed we have ever done is as a filthy rag (Isaiah 64:6) before God. So dead in our trespasses and sins are we that only the grace and mercy of God can save us.

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1, 2, 3’s

Step 1 – Observation:  What does the passage say?

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Step Two – Interpretation:  What does it mean?

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Step Three- Application:  How does it apply to my life?

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Question: “What does the Holy Spirit do?”

Answer: The Bible is quite clear that the Holy Spirit is active in our world. The book of Acts, which sometimes goes by the longer title of “The Acts of the Apostles,” could just as accurately be called “The Acts of the Holy Spirit through the Apostles.” After the apostolic age, there have been some changes—the Spirit does not inspire further Scripture, for example—but He continues to do His work in the world.

First, the Holy Spirit does many things in the lives of believers. He is the believers’ Helper (John 14:26). He indwells believers and seals them until the day of redemption—this indicates that the Holy Spirit’s presence in the believer is irreversible. He guards and guarantees the salvation of the ones He indwells (Ephesians 1:13; 4:30). The Holy Spirit assists believers in prayer (Jude 1:20) and “intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God” (Romans 8:26–27).

The Holy Spirit regenerates and renews the believer (Titus 3:5). At the moment of salvation, the Spirit baptizes the believer into the Body of Christ (Romans 6:3). Believers receive the new birth by the power of the Spirit (John 3:5–8). The Spirit comforts believers with fellowship and joy as they go through a hostile world (1 Thessalonians 1:6; 2 Corinthians 13:14). The Spirit, in His mighty power, fills believers with “all joy and peace” as they trust the Lord, causing believers to “overflow with hope” (Romans 15:13).

Sanctification is another work of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer. The Spirit sets Himself against the desires of the flesh and leads the believer into righteousness (Galatians 5:16–18). The works of the flesh become less evident, and the fruit of the Spirit becomes more evident (Galatians 5:19–26). Believers are commanded to “be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18), which means they are to yield themselves to the Spirit’s full control.

The Holy Spirit is also a gift-giver. “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them” (1 Corinthians 12:4). The spiritual gifts that believers possess are given by the Holy Spirit as He determines in His wisdom (verse 11).

The Holy Spirit also does work among unbelievers. Jesus promised that He would send the Holy Spirit to “convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment” (John 16:8, ESV). The Spirit testifies of Christ (John 15:26), pointing people to the Lord. Currently, the Holy Spirit is also restraining sin and combatting “the secret power of lawlessness” in the world. This action keeps the rise of the Antichrist at bay (2 Thessalonians 2:6–10).

The Holy Spirit has one other important role, and that is to give believers wisdom by which we can understand God. “The Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God” (1 Corinthians 2:10–11). Since we have been given the amazing gift of God’s Spirit inside ourselves, we can comprehend the thoughts of God, as revealed in the Scripture. The Spirit helps us understand. This is wisdom from God, rather than wisdom from man. No amount of human knowledge can ever replace the Holy Spirit’s teaching (1 Corinthians 2:12–13).

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