1. The Holy Spirit and the Church Third Person – p.8 Acts 1:4-8; 2

3. (Acts 1:4-8 NIV) 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.”

4. (Acts 1:4-8 NIV) So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.

5. (Acts 1:4-8 NIV) But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

6. The power of the Holy Spirit will be entrusted to people who can accept His authority over timing This is never going to be about us – it is always about Jesus!

7. The Scene and the Challenge… They were filled with the Holy Spirit 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.

8. The Scene and the Challenge… They were filled with the Holy Spirit 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. (Acts 2:1-4 NIV)

9. The Scene and the Challenge… They were filled with the Holy Spirit The gift of the Holy Spirit is a God- centered event not a man-centered event!

10. The Scene and the Challenge… They were empowered to tell about God! 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 them speaking in his own language.)

11. The Scene and the Challenge… They were empowered to tell about God! Utterly amazed, they asked: “Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that (each of us hears them in his own native language?)

12. The Scene and the Challenge… They were empowered to tell about God! 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);

13. The Scene and the Challenge… They were empowered to tell about God! 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?” (Acts 2:5-12 NIV)

14. The Scene and the Challenge… The first act of the Holy Spirit was to enable God’s people to make God famous by bragging about Him!

15. The Scene and the Challenge…

16. Intimacy with God... Christian spirituality is more than empty ritual. It is about meeting regularly with God to cultivate a sense of wonder. It is living with a fire

17. The Scene and the Challenge… Intimacy with God... God has things figured out. We call that living in intimacy with God; focused on Him and spending time talking to Him and hearing Him tell us that we belong to Him and He loves us and is really happy with us.

18. The Scene and the Challenge… Immediate opposition (Acts 1:13 NIV) Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”

19. The Scene and the Challenge… Immediate opposition (Acts 1:13 NIV) Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.” Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

20. The Scene and the Challenge… Peter then gave the right explanation Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say.

21. The Scene and the Challenge… Peter then gave the right explanation These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

22. The Scene and the Challenge… Peter then gave the right explanation “‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. (Acts 2:17)

23. The Scene and the Challenge… Peter then gave the right explanation I—the sovereignty of God. Will—the determination of God. Pour Out—the generosity of God. My Spirit—the personality of God.

24. The Scene and the Challenge… God can ignite kingdom life in anyone Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.

25. The Scene and the Challenge… God can ignite kingdom life in anyone Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. (Acts 2:17-38)

26. Bottom Line: When God’s Spirit is poured out, the result will be a church filled with passion, zeal and enormous spiritual power. God will ignite kingdom passion in every heart.

27. Checking out Jesus? Accept the promise of Acts 2:21. “And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved” (Acts 2:21).

28. Checking out Jesus? Accept the promise of Acts 2:21. I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke.

29. Checking out Jesus? Accept the promise of Acts 2:21. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.

30. Already a Jesus Disciple? We must die to ourselves and our control of our privacy and schedules and become available to share by life and action what Christ means to us and can mean to others.

31. Already a Jesus Disciple? 65% of the Builder generation attends church 35% of Boomer generation attends church 15% of Gen X attends church 4% of Gen Y

32. Already a Jesus Disciple? We must make prayer and reconciling relationships central. We must make the generational fringes our priority as we build community