Acts-present – God the Holy Spirit – God came to earth to abide (Meno – not to depart/continually dwell) in His followers. He no longer limits His fellowship to certain individuals as He did in the Old Testament. He is not limited by flesh to be in one place at one time as He was in the Gospels. God is presently in the hearts of all believers. God is personally able to teach, comfort, help, and counsel millions of people. There is a close, intimate bond between God and His followers beginning in Acts that continues to today that did not exist prior to Acts. Followers of God today have greater access to God than people who lived before the time of the Books of Acts. Why? The death of Jesus cleansed us of what separated us from God – sin. By taking upon Himself the punishment for our sins, Jesus made it possible for us to have a one-on-one relationship with God through the Holy Spirit.
Scriptures that describe the Trinity working together:
Matthew 28:19; John 1:1-5, 14; John 14:16, 25; John 15:26; John 16:14, 15; Romans 8:9-11.
Today, we acknowledge God in all His manifestations:
God the Father – He is our provider, protector, authority figure, rule maker, enforcer of rules (disciplinarian), teacher.
God the Son – He is our Savior. He came to earth in flesh to free us from the fear of death; to take upon Himself the punishment for our sins; to be the example of how to live life.
God the Holy Spirit –God in us. He is our teacher, comforter, helper, encourager, counselor, and intercessor.
Pentecost - Arrival of the Holy Spirit
Read Acts 1:1-14
11. What did Jesus command his followers? Do not leave Jerusalem until you have received the gift of the Holy Spirit. He will be arriving soon.
12. When His followers receive the power of the Holy Spirit, what are they to do? They were to be Jesus’ witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the rest of the world.
13. What happened to Jesus? Ascended into Heaven.
14. What did the followers of Jesus do afterwards? Went to an upper room where they were staying and prayed constantly/devoted themselves to prayer. Sabbath’s day journey – According to Jewish teachings, a faithful Jew could travel no further than ¾ miles.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Holy Spirit 101 pt. 4
c) judgment – vs. 11. The Holy Spirit will bring to light the fact that judgment has come against this world (kosmos). Evil/wickedness will be held accountable for its actions and God’s vengeance will be poured out upon it. Evidence – “the ruler of this world has been judged (convicted/found guilty and sentenced).” Who is the ruler of this world (kosmos)? Satan/the Enemy/the Adversary. Throughout Jesus’ life and ministry, Satan had labored to prevent Jesus from dying on the cross. Jesus’ death on the cross meant salvation for humanity from the power/authority of Satan. Read Hebrews 2:14-15. Once Jesus made the decision to die on the cross, it was “game over” for the slim/minuscule chance Satan had to defeat God’s plan of salvation. Because the ruler of this world (kosmos) has been judged and sentenced so has this world (kosmos) he has authority over. The Holy Spirit’s presence and activities in this (kosmos) is a constant reminder to the ruler of this world (kosmos) that He has been judged and sentenced.
8) vs. 12. What did Jesus say to the disciples? I have a lot more to talk to you about but you are not ready to receive it all now. There were many more things Jesus wanted to teach the disciples, including about the Holy Spirit. However, they were not mature enough to understand it all. They were still in spiritual kindergarten. They were having a hard time grasping everything Jesus had already shared with them. Their brains were about to explode.
9) vs. 13-15. What encouragement did Jesus give the disciples? The Holy Spirit will teach them truth (See question 5.) Where does the truth the Holy Spirit speak come from? Jesus. Read John 14:6. The Holy is not an independent player. He is not a rogue player who acts separate from God and Jesus. He acts and speaks in concert/unity with God and Jesus. In fact, all three are on the same page. All three are manifestations of God. Manifestation - One of the forms in which someone is revealed … which leads into our discussion of the Holy Trinity.
10. What is the Holy Trinity? A term given to describe the unique nature of God. The Holy Trinity is not a concept that is easily explained or understood. The key word to know in order to explain/understand the Holy Trinity is manifestation - One of the forms in which someone is revealed. In Scripture and in history, God revealed Himself to humanity in three ways: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
Old Testament – God the Father – God acted as a father to His Chosen people the children of Israel/Hebrews/Jews. What is the role(s) of a father? Provider, protector, authority figure, rule maker, enforcer of rules (disciplinarian), teacher. As God the Father, He limited His manifestation to individuals – Abraham, Moses, Samuel, the prophets (Elijah, Jeremiah, Jonah, Isaiah, etc.). Why? Don’t know for sure. Perhaps it had to do with the fallen nature of humanity. Prior to the Fall of Man in the Garden of Eden, God came down from Heaven to regularly fellowship with Adam and Eve. After the Fall, that fellowship became disrupted. Afterwards, God limited His manifestation to individuals of His choosing often as part of a call to carry out His purpose.
Gospels – God the Son – God came to earth in the form of a human being. Why? Author of Hebrews lists three reasons: 1) Through death He would free humanity from the fear of death. 2) Take upon Himself the bloody punishment for the sins of humanity. 3) To be an example of righteous living – doing what is right and avoiding what is wrong. While in flesh, God experienced every temptation known to man and successfully triumphed over them. In order to fulfill these purposes, God had to manifest Himself in a manner different from God the Father. God could not come down to earth in His full appearance. This world could not and cannot contain the fullness of God’s presence. Heaven itself is barely able to contain it. Moreover, God the Father cannot die; He cannot feel physical or emotional pain; He cannot be tempted. Therefore, God in a miraculous/seemingly impossible way put himself in human flesh and manifested Himself to humanity as God the Son. He experienced everything that humanity experienced – physical and emotional pain, temptation, and death. Consequently, we have a God who can relate to our life experiences – poverty, adversity, suffering, stress, joy, happiness, grief, sorrow, temptation.
8) vs. 12. What did Jesus say to the disciples? I have a lot more to talk to you about but you are not ready to receive it all now. There were many more things Jesus wanted to teach the disciples, including about the Holy Spirit. However, they were not mature enough to understand it all. They were still in spiritual kindergarten. They were having a hard time grasping everything Jesus had already shared with them. Their brains were about to explode.
9) vs. 13-15. What encouragement did Jesus give the disciples? The Holy Spirit will teach them truth (See question 5.) Where does the truth the Holy Spirit speak come from? Jesus. Read John 14:6. The Holy is not an independent player. He is not a rogue player who acts separate from God and Jesus. He acts and speaks in concert/unity with God and Jesus. In fact, all three are on the same page. All three are manifestations of God. Manifestation - One of the forms in which someone is revealed … which leads into our discussion of the Holy Trinity.
10. What is the Holy Trinity? A term given to describe the unique nature of God. The Holy Trinity is not a concept that is easily explained or understood. The key word to know in order to explain/understand the Holy Trinity is manifestation - One of the forms in which someone is revealed. In Scripture and in history, God revealed Himself to humanity in three ways: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
Old Testament – God the Father – God acted as a father to His Chosen people the children of Israel/Hebrews/Jews. What is the role(s) of a father? Provider, protector, authority figure, rule maker, enforcer of rules (disciplinarian), teacher. As God the Father, He limited His manifestation to individuals – Abraham, Moses, Samuel, the prophets (Elijah, Jeremiah, Jonah, Isaiah, etc.). Why? Don’t know for sure. Perhaps it had to do with the fallen nature of humanity. Prior to the Fall of Man in the Garden of Eden, God came down from Heaven to regularly fellowship with Adam and Eve. After the Fall, that fellowship became disrupted. Afterwards, God limited His manifestation to individuals of His choosing often as part of a call to carry out His purpose.
Gospels – God the Son – God came to earth in the form of a human being. Why? Author of Hebrews lists three reasons: 1) Through death He would free humanity from the fear of death. 2) Take upon Himself the bloody punishment for the sins of humanity. 3) To be an example of righteous living – doing what is right and avoiding what is wrong. While in flesh, God experienced every temptation known to man and successfully triumphed over them. In order to fulfill these purposes, God had to manifest Himself in a manner different from God the Father. God could not come down to earth in His full appearance. This world could not and cannot contain the fullness of God’s presence. Heaven itself is barely able to contain it. Moreover, God the Father cannot die; He cannot feel physical or emotional pain; He cannot be tempted. Therefore, God in a miraculous/seemingly impossible way put himself in human flesh and manifested Himself to humanity as God the Son. He experienced everything that humanity experienced – physical and emotional pain, temptation, and death. Consequently, we have a God who can relate to our life experiences – poverty, adversity, suffering, stress, joy, happiness, grief, sorrow, temptation.
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