I.
TOPIC:
We want to continue to look at the Character and Nature of
God—this time as the “Holy Spirit”. When you go through the following scripture
reading, focus on understanding He is a Gift to us all. And also what He brings
to us. After the reading, there are related verses that will ask some questions
for you to think through and respond to. And also if you want to experience
this same Holy Spirit with His Fruit and Gifts.
II.
READING: John
20:19-22 and Acts
2:1-41 (CSB)
19 When it was evening on that first day of the week, the
disciples were gathered together with the doors locked because they feared the
Jews. Jesus came, stood among them, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20
Having said this, he showed them his hands and his side. So the disciples
rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with
you. As the Father has sent me, I also send you.” 22 After saying this, he
breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
…
1 When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they [believers] were
all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing
wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying. 3
They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and rested on each one of
them. 4 Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in
different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them.
5 Now there were Jews staying in Jerusalem, devout people
from every nation under heaven. 6 When this sound occurred, a crowd came
together and was confused because each one heard them speaking in his own
language. 7 They were astounded and amazed, saying, “Look, aren’t all these who
are speaking Galileans? 8 How is it that each of us can hear them in our own
native language? 9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites; those who live in Mesopotamia,
in Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and
the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts), 11
Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the magnificent acts of God in our own
tongues.” 12 They were all astounded and perplexed, saying to one another,
“What does this mean?” 13 But some sneered and said, “They’re drunk on new
wine.”
14 Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and
proclaimed to them, “Fellow Jews and all you residents of Jerusalem, let this
be known to you, and pay attention to my words. 15 For these people are not
drunk, as you suppose, since it’s only nine in the morning. 16 On the contrary,
this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:
17 And it will be in the last days,
says God,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all
people;
then your sons and your daughters
will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
and your old men will dream dreams.
18 I will even pour out my Spirit
on my servants in those days, both
men and women
and they will prophesy.
19 I will display wonders in the
heaven above
and signs on the earth below:
blood and fire and a cloud of smoke.
20 The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the great and glorious day of
the Lord comes.
21 Then everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved.
22 “Fellow Israelites, listen to these words: This Jesus of
Nazareth was a man attested to you by God with miracles, wonders, and signs
that God did among you through him, just as you yourselves know. 23 Though he
was delivered up according to God’s determined plan and foreknowledge, you used
lawless people to nail him to a cross and kill him. 24 God raised him up,
ending the pains of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by
death. 25 For David says of him:
I saw the Lord ever before me;
because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.
26 Therefore my heart is glad
and my tongue rejoices.
Moreover, my flesh will rest in hope,
27 because you will not abandon me in
Hades
or allow your holy one to see decay.
28 You have revealed the paths of
life to me;
you will fill me with gladness
in your presence.
29 “Brothers and sisters, I can confidently speak to you
about the patriarch David: He is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us
to this day. 30 Since he was a prophet, he knew that God had sworn an oath to
him to seat one of his descendants on his throne. 31 Seeing what was to come,
he spoke concerning the resurrection of the Messiah: He was not abandoned in Hades,
and his flesh did not experience decay.
32 “God has raised this Jesus; we are all witnesses of this.
33 Therefore, since he has been exalted to the right hand of God and has
received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit, he has poured out what you
both see and hear. 34 For it was not David who ascended into the heavens, but
he himself says:
The Lord declared to my Lord,
‘Sit at my right hand
35 until I make your enemies your footstool.’
36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know with certainty
that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”
37 When they heard this, they were pierced to the heart and
said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?”
38 Peter replied, “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.”
40 With many other words he testified and strongly urged them, saying, “Be
saved from this corrupt generation!” 41 So those who accepted his message were
baptized [into Christ], and that day about three thousand people were added to
them.
III.
RELATED VERSES AND QUESTIONS:
A. John
20:7-11
7-11 Nevertheless I (Jesus
Christ) tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do
not go away, the Helper (Holy Spirit) will not come to you; but if I depart, I
will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of:
- Sin, because they do not believe in Me;
- Righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more;
- Judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
Question: Do you ever feel
the Holy Spirit (Lord) is judging you for your sins; or reminding you of them?
B. Acts
4:29-31 (NKJV)
29 Now, Lord, look on
their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak
Your word, 30 by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders
may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.” 31 And when they had
prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were
all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.
Question: Do you know what
it is to be “filled” with the Holy Spirit?
C. Acts
8:14-17 (NKJV)
14 Now when the apostles
who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they
sent Peter and John to them, 15 who, when they had come down, prayed for them
that they might receive the Holy Spirit. 16 For as yet He had fallen upon none
of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then
they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
Question: Can someone be a
believer and not yet be baptised in the Holy Spirit?
D. Acts
19:1-6 (NKJV)
And it happened, while
Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions,
came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples 2 he said to them, “Did you receive
the Holy Spirit when you believed?” So they said to him, “We have not so much
as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” 3 And he said to them, “Into what
then were you baptized?” So they said, “Into John’s baptism.” 4 Then Paul said,
“John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that
they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.”
5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And
when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they
spoke with tongues and prophesied.
Question: Does there seem
to be an importance to the disciples that someone is baptized in the Holy
Spirit?
16 Do you not know that
you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone
defiles the temple of God, God will destroy this [defilement (G5126)].
For the temple of God is holy, which you are.
Question: Have you ever
felt God is angry with you when you sin—that He may even want to destroy you?
Further reading: http://cbadenhorst.blogspot.com/2017/05/misunderstanding-and-misinterpretation.html
22 But the fruit of the
Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, 23 gentleness,
and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Question: Do you feel the
Holy Spirit provides these fruits for you now?
G. 1
Corinthians 12:4-11 (CSB)
4 Now there are different
gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are different ministries, but the same
Lord. 6 And there are different activities, but the same God works all of them
in each person. 7 A manifestation of the Spirit is given to each person for the
common good: 8 to one is given a message of wisdom through the Spirit, to
another, a message of knowledge by the same Spirit, 9 to another, faith by the
same Spirit, to another, gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another, the
performing of miracles, to another, prophecy, to another, distinguishing
between spirits, to another, different kinds of tongues, to another, interpretation
of tongues. 11 One and the same Spirit is active in all these, distributing to
each person as he wills.
Question: Did Jesus or the
disciples perform these gifts? Do you think you can?
H. Romans
12:4-8 (CSB)
4 Now as we have many
parts in one body, and all the parts do not have the same function, 5 in the
same way we who are many are one body in Christ and individually members of one
another. 6 According to the grace given to us, we have different gifts: If
prophecy, use it according to the proportion of one’s faith; 7 if service, use it
in service; if teaching, in teaching; 8 if exhorting, in exhortation; giving,
with generosity; leading, with diligence; showing mercy, with cheerfulness.
Question: Do you find
yourself operating in any of these gifts? Do you feel any are stronger in you
than others?
I.
Romans
11:29 (NKJV)
For the gifts and the
calling of God are irrevocable [without repentance].
Question: Can you lose the
gift of the Holy Spirit, or His gifts?
IV.
FURTHER THOUGHT:
A. Acts
5:1-10 (KJV): Ananias and Sapphira
Thoughts: When you read
the account of Ananias and Sapphira, please note that it does not say that the
Holy Spirit (nor God, nor Jesus) struck them dead. It says they “yielded up” (G1634)
their spirits. They did it to themselves—their own conscience convicted them,
and most likely their heart failed them because of their own fear of God. A
further explanation is detailed here:
http://cbadenhorst.blogspot.com/2017/05/misunderstanding-and-misinterpretation.html
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