Session 2 Manuscript
Title: Empowered to Witness Text:
Acts 1:4-8; 2:1-6, 37-41
Truth: The Holy Spirit gives believers power to witness.
Aim: To help you rely on the Spirit's power as you witness.
INTRODUCTION
May 18, 1980 Mount St. Helens erupted. The force was estimated at 500 times more powerful than the force of the atomic bomb that destroyed Hiroshima. The explosion ripped 1,200 feet off the top ofa 9,700 foot volcano.
The cloud of ash thrown into the atmosphere literally turned day into night in the surrounding communities. They were immobilized by four to six inches of powdery substance. Sports Illustrated said that primehunting and fishing country was decimated. Gone were 26 lakes, 154 miles of trout streams, and 195 square miles of wildlife habitate.
But Mount St. Helens was a firecracker compared to the eruption of Mount Krakatoa in Indonesia inl883. It erupted with the force of30 hydrogen bombs. One hydrogen bomb is equal to 1,000 atomic bombs.Remember, Mount St. Helens was equal to 500 atomic bombs. So, Mount Krakatoa was equal to 30,000 atomic bombs. It was sixty times more powerful than Mount St. Helens. The eruption of Mount Krakatoa created a tidal wave that killed 36,000 people in Java and Sumatra, and the cloud of ash spewed cooled the earth for almost two years.
We've just begun to explore the limitless power of God in this universe. This raw power is more than matched by His power displayed in the resurrection and indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Though we've developed the power to dtive our cars, A/C our homes, and communicate around the world in an instant, we still struggle to find the power to be better people. The Chtistian says God offers us power inwardly through his Spitit. The book of Acts illustrates believers empowered by the Holy Spirit in spreading the Good News of Jesus Chtist.
Luke's purpose in writing Acts were (1) to demonstrate the continuing ministry of the resurrected Christ through the Person of the Holy Spirit, and (2) to show the progress of the gospel, empowered by the Spirit, as it broke through barriers to carry out Jesus' commission.. Racism, religious legalism, demonic opposition, persecution, and false doctrine all failed to stop the expansion of the gospel by Spirit-filled believers.
This quarter's study of Acts has three units of study. The first unit is "Power to Go." Our study reminds us of the necessity that we serve God in the Spirit's power. The second unit, "People Who Go," will emphasize characteristics of strong Chtistians. The third unit, "Places We Go," demonstrates what we are to do as Christians in challenging situations.
Using the subjects of power, people, and places will helps us get a grip on the content and persons of this extremely important period in history. We'd know very little about the context of the rest of the books of the New Testament ifwe didn't have Acts. We see believers; empowered by the Holy Spirit, cover the Roman Empire with the gospel in 30+ years. They did this without almost all of our advantages. Theydid it by being Spirit filled witnesses. It began with about the same number of people as attend Northeast on any given Sunday.
First, we need power.
WE NEED POWER (ACTS 1:4-8)
What's the mission? (1:8-Take the message to all the people in the world.)
If you knew these early disciples, how would you describe them? (uneducated, powerless, no influence, poor, an oppressed people, etc.)
Jesus said they must have the Spirit (v.4-5). Jesus speaks as though everything that follows depends on the Holy Spirit. They will fail without the power of the Holy Spirit. To succeed they must be saturatedwith the Holy Spirit. That is the idea of being baptized with the Spirit. John's baptism was repentance from sin but the Spirit's baptism was for salvation. Nothing less than the power of God is required for aperson to be saved.
They basically ask in v. 6 ifthere isn't more to this command. Will the coming of the Spirit inaugurate the establishment of His kingdom on earth? Jesus doesn't rebuke them but corrects their misunderstanding. Jesus teaches them that the establishment of his earthly kingdom is not the primary reason the Spirit is coming. They are to leave the timing of those matters in God's care. What is theprimary reason they are to wait on the coming of the Holy Spirit? (power to be a witness of Jesus)
The identifying mark of God's people has always been they were to be witnesses to the nations-Isa. 43:10-12. If the nations are to be brought to the Lord it will require the power of the Spirit to accomplish.
What's the key trait of a witness? (speech about Jesus)
The Holy Spirit is a missionary Spirit. He sends us to Jerusalem, Judea, etc.
Our Jerusalem is the railroad tracks to the west to 36th street on the east, from Robinson to Tecumseh. We're the only Southern Baptist Church among 4,330 homes. That's a population of 10,000-12,000people. Our immediate mission is to witness to these people the Lord Jesus. The most important resource we have to reach these people is the Holy Spirit. He is the only One that can inspire us to go speak to them about Jesus.
When you are passionate for the Spirit, you will be hungry to carry out His mission. They go hand-in-hand.
WE CAN HAVE POWER (ACTS 2:1-4)
Why did this event wait to occur on the day of Pentecost? Let me give you the background to Pentecost and tell me why you think it might be significant. Pentecost had an agricultural and a historical significance. Agriculturally, it was the celebration of the barley harvest. This took place seven weeks after Passover. Historically, at the end of the inter-testamental period, it was celebrated as the time that God gave Moses the law at Mount Sinai.
The Spirit began the harvest of souls through the preaching of Jesus by Peter. On Pentecost with the coming of the Holy Spirit, a new covenant was established with God's people. The previous covenant was outward and written on stone. This covenant is inward and written on the heart.
If you had an oppo1tunity to speak to one of the 120 that experienced this event, what are some things you'd ask them in light of what is recorded in these four verses?
(Be prepared to answer some of the details. For example, wind and fire are often symbols of God's presence. Be prepared to explain about tongues. Don't let it get you off from the main point of the lesson.)
We are told that to have this power we are to be filled with the Spirit. The Bible never tells us how to be filled. If the metaphor of being filled with the Spirit means to be under the Spirit's control, then what's necessary to be filled with the Spirit?
(You may want to use a full cup as a metaphor to draw lessons as to its meaning. To be under the Spirit's control means to confess and repent of sin, obey the Word, seek after God, practice spiritual disciplines in order to know God, etc.)
The Spirit that filled Jesus as he carried out his ministry on earth is the same Spirit that fills Christians! Imagine that! We can have this power.
WE CAN USE POWER (ACTS 2:5-6)
Name the characteristics of these hearers.
Jews, Jerusalem, devout, eve,y nation, confused, heard the message in own dialect)
In other words, these people knew the scriptures that Peter would quote in his sermon. Being devout means they lived expecting the coming of the Messiah and they sought to do God's will.
The noise attracted their attention. They were shocked to hear unlearned Galileans perfectly speaking their home country's language. This is a powerful indication of God's great desire to clearly communicate with all people the gospel. What a contrast with other religions. A Muslim or Hindu believes that the only way to truly hear God's voice
in their holy book is to know Arabic or Sanskrit. Even a devout Jew believes something is lost in hearing God if you don't know how to read the Old Testament in Hebrew. But Christians intentionally seek to producethe Bible in as many languages as are spoken in this world. We want God to be heard in every tongue.
A dozen members of our church leave next week for Utah. Hopefully, they will get to witness to Mormons about the gospel of Jesus Christ. What do we need to pray and they need to say so they communicate clearly the true, saving gospel of Christ?
(Jesus is God, second person of the Trinity; salvation is not earned but a gift, salvation is eternally secure, etc.)
WE CAN SEE POWER AT WORK (ACTS 2:37-41)
This is the first Christian sermon. Before there was power at work, the gospel was clearly explained. Peter's message (v. 14-36) begins by refuting the charge of drunkenness. Wow! These Christians must have been deliriously happy. Then he explained that what was actually happening was the fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel (v. 16-21). Having done this, he centered his message in the proclamation of Jesus Cluist as God's Messiah (v. 22-36).
Peter said they were experiencing the Day of the Lord. In the Old Testament it meant a time of national vindication when God would judge his enemies and establish His rule. What is happening at Pentecost is theintervention of God in this present evil age and the initiation of His blessings that will be experienced fully at the end. One of those blessings says Joel (2:28-32) will be the outpouring of God's Spirit.
Peter declares that Jesus is the Messiah. He gives three proofs. First, the miracles attest to his Messiahship (v. 22). Second, Jesus' resun-ection is proof (v. 23-32). Third, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit was proofthat Jesus had been exalted to a position of power at the right hand of the Father. Since Psalm 110:1 had not been fulfilled in David, but in Jesus, He must be the Messiah. Therefore, Peter says we must decide about Jesus. God had reversed man's verdict of Him being a blasphemer and declared He is the Christ.
This is what brought conviction to the hearts of these people. They ask directly what were they to do in light of killing the author oflife!
Peter gives them a direct answer. What are they to do? (repent & be baptized)
Two_actions: repentance and baptism. What does it mean to repent?
If you tum from sin then it is implied you are turning to something else. Baptism is the declaration that you tum in faith to Jesus Christ as Savior and God. Once you rejected His claims, you now accept those claims.The act itself has no saving value. The person baptized is saying they acknowledge they cannot save themselves and they need a Savior. This Savior is Jesus Cluist. He lived a perfect life, died a substitutionary death for the
penalty of sin, and rose from the dead to vindicate Jesus as the one, true Savior. The baptismal candidate is trusting Jesus alone for salvation.
Two gifts
What are the two gifts a person receives when they repent of sin and place their trust in Jesus Christ?
When you think of the gift of forgiveness, what is it that Peter had accused them of doing?
(They'd crucified the Son of God! God forgives even that when they repent and believe.)
Being forgiven is a phenomenal gift. But what else do we need that we receive by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit?
(We need power to be transformed.)
This promise is not just for the apostles or those 3,000. This is something God will do for everyone that repents and believes.
Peter says that this is not a private decision. They are urged to step out of the sinful community into the fellowship of God's people. A very large number did just that.
Where do you see the Holy Spirit at work in this passage?
(conviction, conversion, commitment) Only the Holy Spirit can do this work. What's our responsibility?
CONCLUSION
What's the mission of the OU football team? What resources do they have to accomplish that mission?
What's the mission of every Christian according to this lesson? (bring others to Jesus) What's the resource to accomplish this impossible task? (the Holy Spirit)
The Christian life is impossible without the Holy Spirit. He gives us life, forms Christ like character within us, teaches us the truth, empowers our witness, convicts us sin, intercedes in our prayers, and much more.Don't miss that the primary evidence of the presence of the Holy Spirit filling a Christian. The primary evidence is he speaks to others about Christ.