Sponsor s Guide. For Sponsors of Junior High, Young People and Adult. Prepared by Richard Merritt Vol. 55, No. 2 ISSUED March 1, 2009 SPRING QUARTER

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2 Baptist Training Course Sponsor s Guide For Sponsors of Junior High, Young People and Adult Prepared by Richard Merritt Vol. 55, No. 2 ISSUED March 1, 2009 SPRING QUARTER Outlines for the series developed by Don Price EDITOR IN CHIEF: Larry E. Clements larryclements@abaptist.org BUSINESS MANAGER: Wayne Sewell wsewell@abaptist.org PRODUCTION EDITOR: Sally McInvale ADULT EDITOR: Jim Jones CHILDREN S EDITOR: Libby Gill ILLUSTRATOR: Connie Spears GRAPHIC ARTISTS: Shawn Blase, Jeff Allen, Greg Hilterbrand, Gerald Martin, Ashley Carozza LAYOUT DESIGNERS: Bonita McKnight, Kyle Elkins, Cindy Butler CONTENT EDITORS: Terry McKellar, Carolyn Burks, Deby Turrentine PRINT PRODUCTION: Charles Easley COVER DESIGN: Greg Hilterbrand Copyright 2009 Baptist Sunday School Committee 4605 N. State Line Ave. Texarkana, TX The Work of the Holy Spirit of God Quarterly Aim: The student will learn what the Bible teaches about how, why, where, in what ways and with whom the Holy Spirit works. CONTENTS Lesson No. 1, March 1, 2009 The Deity of the Holy Spirit Lesson No. 2, March 8, 2009 The Work of the Holy Spirit in Creation Lesson No. 3, March 15, 2009 The Enablement of the Holy Spirit in Workers Lesson No. 4, March 22, 2009 The Empowerment of the Holy Spirit in Judges.. 14 Lesson No. 5, March 29, 2009 The Leading of the Holy Spirit in Kings Lesson No. 6, April 5, 2009 The Direction of the Holy Spirit in Prophets Lesson No. 7, April 12, 2009 The Power of the Holy Spirit in Salvation Lesson No. 8, April 19, 2009 The Inspiration of the Holy Spirit in Scripture Lesson No. 9, April 26, 2009 The Comfort of the Holy Spirit Lesson No. 10, May 3, 2009 The Filling of the Holy Spirit Lesson No. 11, May 10, 2009 The Calling of the Holy Spirit in Ministers Lesson No. 12, May 17, 2009 The Indwelling of the Holy Spirit in Saints Lesson No. 13, May 24, 2009 The Sins Against the Holy Spirit Lesson No. 14, May 31, 2009 The Gifts of the Holy Spirit

3 2 SPONSOR S GUIDE LESSON 1 March 1, 2009 The Deity of the Holy Spirit Lesson Text: Romans 8:9, 10. Related Scripture: Genesis 6:3; Job 33:4; Matthew 28:19; Luke 2:25-30; John 16:12-14; 20:22; Romans 8:9, 10; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21. Application: To encourage the reader to have a better understanding of God, the Holy Spirit, His attributes and His work. DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS The Work of the Holy Spirit Is Unseen to the Natural Eye, John 3:8-12. Jesus spoke to Nicodemus about the new birth. He referred to being born again as being born of the Spirit (John 3:6). The references to God in the Bible are capitalized. Spirit denotes the Holy Spirit as the Third Person of the Godhead. Deity means to be God. The Holy Spirit is God. When a person is saved or born into God s family, the Holy Spirit indwells, seals and secures at that point. Nicodemus knew nothing about a second birth. Nicodemus knew nothing about spiritual things even though he was a religious teacher among the Jews. He had not yet been born again. Jesus emphasized to Nicodemus that he did not know about spiritual things. He asked, Knowest not these things? (verse 10). Nicodemus could not understand about the person and work of the Holy Spirit. Jesus taught Nicodemus that the work of the Holy Spirit is unseen by the natural eye. He said, The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit (verse 8). Spiritual matters cannot be discerned by the natural man. Jesus spoke of the Holy Spirit as unseen or invisible in His movement but obvious in the results of His work. The conviction of the Holy Spirit could not be seen. The Holy Spirit caused Nicodemus to want to talk to Jesus. EXAMINING THE TEXT Romans 8:9, 10. There is a difference between the flesh and the Spirit. The flesh refers to the natural man. Every person born of a human father is a natural-born sinner in need of the Savior. God has placed within the spirit of every person a place where the Holy Spirit comes in to dwell at salvation. For the unsaved person, this space is empty. He is dead in trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1). The person who has never trusted in Christ for salvation is already on the road to hell. John 3:18 states, He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. The Holy Spirit does not enter into the unbeliever when He convicts the sinner. He prods the sinner with the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. (See Ephesians 6:17.) Paul felt this conviction or prodding from the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks (Acts 9:5). Sinners are dominated by the fleshly, Adamic na-

4 SPONSOR S GUIDE 3 ture until they turn to Christ for salvation. The power of the indwelling Holy Spirit enables the believer who yields to God to overcome the flesh (Rom. 6:12, 13, 19). The Holy Spirit indwells every child of God from the point of salvation. We believe that the depraved sinner is saved wholly by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and the requisites to regeneration are repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 13:3-5; John 3:16-18; Acts 20:21; Rom. 6:23; Eph. 2:8, 9), (Doctrinal Statement #14). At salvation, the Holy Spirit takes up permanent residence within the child of God. Romans 8:16 declares, The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God. It is one of the works of the indwelling Spirit to convince and assure the believer that he or she is in fact in Christ. This assurance of salvation is based only on God s promises in the Bible. Romans 8:38, 39 reveals, For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit work together in unity as one in salvation. God the Father planned it before the foundation of the world. First Peter 1:18-20 reads, Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world. Jesus was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, gave Himself as every sinner s substitute, died on the cross as the Lamb of God and rose again after three days and three nights. He lives eternally as the only Savior. Acts 4:12 states, Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. The Holy Spirit convicts sinners, regenerates, seals, secures and indwells every believer (John 3:6; John 16:8, 9; Rom. 8:9-11; 1 Cor. 6:19, 20; Eph. 4:30; Titus 3:5), (Doctrinal Statement # 14). God the Holy Spirit indwells and assures every believer he is secure eternally. The Holy Spirit brings eternal life and the righteousness of Christ into the believer. Second Corinthians 1:21, 22 declares, Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. The point of time in which the Holy Spirit produces this change within the being of a repentant sinner is called the new birth. At salvation, a person is born again or born of the Spirit. First Peter 1:23 reveals, Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. He is then referred to as being in Christ. When we say Christ is in the child of God, we speak of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Every person who has ever been saved has enjoyed the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The lesson Text states, If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his (Rom. 8:9). The Holy Spirit produces the change in man s spirit to change the sinner into a saved person when he or she trusts in Christ for salvation. RELATED SCRIPTURE Genesis 6:3. God determined there would be one hundred twenty more years for Noah s generation to have an opportunity to be saved. That opportunity would end with their deaths in the flood. Every sinner is called by God to come to salvation. The Holy Spirit

5 4 SPONSOR S GUIDE strives to show the sinner his need of the Savior. Job 33:4. The Holy Spirit is given credit for the creation of mankind. Elihu spoke to Job during his great affliction. Some of the things the friends of Job said were true and some were false. The Bible accurately records what they said. When Elihu said he was created by the Spirit of God, he correctly recognized the Holy Spirit as God. Matthew 28:19. The words of Jesus that we call the Great Commission teach us that baptism should be in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. The term Holy Ghost is identical or synonymous with Holy Spirit. This verse points out the Holy Spirit is equal with God the Father and God the Son. Luke 2: Simeon was a saved man. He believed the promise of the Holy Spirit that he would live to see Christ. He was led by the Holy Spirit to go to the Temple where Jesus was present according to the Law. He attributed the promise of the Holy Spirit to the Word of God. John 16: Jesus led the church He built during His personal ministry as the divine administrator until His ascension. Since His ascension, the Holy Spirit serves as the divine administrator over every true church. The Holy Spirit serves to guide church members into all truth. His power and presence in the Lord s churches is the power of God. John 20:22. Jesus promised His churches the empowering of the Holy Spirit. This promise was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost. This empowering enabled true churches to be able to do the work of the Great Commission by God s power. Each true church is led by the Holy Spirit to make decisions according to the will and way of God. Romans 8:9, 10. The Holy Spirit brings everlasting life to the repentant sinner at the point of salvation. His work involves bringing the righteousness of Christ to the newborn believer. From the point of salvation, the Holy Spirit indwells the child of God. The Holy Spirit makes believers know they are in Christ. 2 Timothy 3:16, 17. One of the works of the Holy Spirit involved the inspiration of the Scriptures. Although there were about forty human writers, each was moved by the Spirit to say in his own vocabulary what God wanted said. The Spirit so guided these writers that every word is as God intended it. 2 Peter 1:21. The Holy Spirit s work in inspiration can be compared to the wind in the sails of a great ship. When the wind fills the sails, the ship moves as directed by the wind. When the writers of the books of the Bible wrote, they wrote as directed and moved by the Holy Spirit. RELEVANCE OF THE TEXT The Holy Spirit is God. There is one God manifested in three persons. The three persons of the Godhead are Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In the King James Version, the words spirit or ghost are used interchangeably. The Greek scholars in England came from three schools, Cambridge, Westminster and Oxford. One school used the word spirit and the others used the word ghost. The Holy Spirit and the Holy Ghost are one and the same. First John 5:7 declares, For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. In most modern translations, the doctrine of the Trinity is omitted from this verse. This verse

6 SPONSOR S GUIDE 5 teaches one God manifesting Himself in three persons. As God, the Holy Spirit is as equal, eternal and essential as God the Father and God the Son. God the Father is considered the First Person of the Trinity. God the Son is the Second Person of the Trinity. God the Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Trinity. Whether in the work of creation, salvation or any other act of God, the three persons of the Godhead work as one. When dealing with the Holy Spirit, we are dealing with God. Ananias and Sapphira learned when they lied to God, they also lied to the Holy Spirit. Acts 5:3, 4 states, But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. God is referred to as both Lord and Spirit. Second Corinthians 3:17 declares, Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. God the Holy Spirit works in the believer to produce spiritual growth and maturity as we study the Bible and apply it to our lives. Second Corinthians 3:18 states, But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. CONTEMPORARY APPLICATION The Holy Spirit has all the attributes of God. John 4:24 reveals, God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. He is life. (See John 3:5; Romans 8:2.) He is eternal. (See 1 Peter 3:18; Hebrews 9:14.) He is Omnipresent. (See Jonah 1:3; Psalm 139:7.) He is Omnipotent. (See Matthew 14:33; Luke 1:35.) He is Omniscient. (See John 14:26; 16:13, 14; 1 Corinthians 2:10, 11.) The Holy Spirit works within the believer to seal, secure, guide, comfort and assure. The assurance of salvation rests upon the foundation of God s plan, Jesus promise and the demonstration of His resurrection power and the indwelling Holy Spirit s witnessing to the believer that he or she is in fact a child of God (Rom. 8:16). The Holy Spirit works within the believer to guide him. First Timothy 2:3, 4 states, For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. He also works with each New Testament church as the guide to all truth (John 16:13).

7 6 SPONSOR S GUIDE LESSON 2 March 8, 2009 The Work of the Holy Spirit in Creation Lesson Text: Genesis 1:1, 2. Related Scripture: Job 26:13; Psalms 8:3; 33:6; 102:25; Isaiah 42:5; 44:24; 45:18; Jeremiah 10:12; Acts 14:15; Hebrews 1:10; 11:3; Revelation 4:11. Application: To show God the Holy Spirit in creation. DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS All the Creation Was Made by God and Continues To Consist by His Power, John 1:1-3; Colossians 1: All things were made by the one true God. During the act of creation, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit worked in perfect accord. God the Father planned it, God the Son did the work and God the Holy Spirit superintended it. God both created the universe and sustains His creation. As a Spirit, God the Creator is invisible to the human eye. We can see His majestic creation that gives evidence of His existence, but we cannot see God. When we thank God in prayer for His mighty works, we should be grateful for what He did in creation and in salvation. God made us, delivered believers from the domination of Satan s power, translated us into the kingdom of Christ, redeemed us by the blood of the Lamb and forgave our sins. Every person should be aware that he or she is made by God and is made for His good pleasure. God has a right to receive glory and praise from all His creation as He sees appropriate. God has chosen to accept the glory and praise of redeemed mankind and of true worship as exhibited in this age in New Testament churches. Ephesians 3:21 states, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. We should thank God daily. God the Holy Spirit seeks to guide all creation into the proper mode of giving praise and glory to God. He points unbelievers to Christ as the only way of true salvation. He leads believers to New Testament churches for the purpose of obeying the command of Christ concerning baptism. He leads churches in worship and in service to God to spread the gospel of Christ throughout the whole world. These things give praise to God. EXAMINING THE TEXT Genesis 1:1, 2. The fourth part of the Doctrinal Statement of the churches of the American Baptist Association states, We believe in the Genesis account of Creation (Gen. 1; 2). Genesis 1:1 declares, In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. The creation was an act of God. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit worked in unison in the creation. A perfect God can only do perfect works. The creation was originally complete, mature and perfect as it sprang into being at the command of God. Hebrews 11:3 reveals, Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of

8 SPONSOR S GUIDE 7 things which do appear. Creation occurred when God spoke it into existence. His word brought it into an immediate state that was pleasing to Him. It was ideal for the life that inhabited it. Isaiah 45:18 states, For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else. No other person, angel or thing can truthfully claim to be the original cause of creation except God. The word of God s power brought the creation into existence suddenly. Isaiah 48:3 declares, I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I shewed them; I did them suddenly, and they came to pass. This verse proves creation did not start from chaos and that creation was an act, not a process. God is not the author of confusion. Only an orderly God inspired His Word to say, Let all things be done decently and in order (1 Cor. 14:40). God is orderly. The order of God in creation included first the command and second, the instantaneous appearance of the creation. The creation existed originally in Genesis 1:1 in order and perfection. Chaos is disorder. In Genesis 1:2, the condition of God s creation was chaotic. It is no longer order and perfection. The Bible states it became without form, and void. Since the condition of Genesis 1:1 was perfect and the condition of Genesis 1:2 was chaotic, it is obvious something cataclysmic happened. Bro. Fred Stevenson wrote, Something drastic happened, causing the original creation to be destroyed, at least to the point it was described as without form and void. This original creation was made a wreck. This was probably a long period of time. How long? It could have been any amount of time God chose. Then Genesis 1:3 begins an account of the recreation, or reconstruction of the resulting wreckage (The Gap Theory, Fred S. Stevenson, page 12). Bro. L. D. Foreman wrote, When the earth was created, it was created perfect. No blemish of sin was on it. Many people read the second verse of Genesis into the first verse. It doesn t belong in that verse. There is a period of time between the two verses. There is not only a period between verses 1 and 2 which denotes a sentence a complete thought in verse 1, but also a period of time (The Bible in Eight Ages, L. D. Foreman, page 72). Bro J. Louis Guthrie wrote, I cannot think of the earth coming out of chaos, because of the record we have of these two verses. First came a creation of the heavens and the earth, then came a waste and a desolation, i. e., a chaos (Christ in Creation, J. Louis Guthrie, page 33). The original creation perished, but not totally. It was not chaotic at first. The creation did not come into being through a process or series of commands, but, from the one word or command of God, it sprang forth into existence. The Genesis account of creation reveals an all-powerful God capable of speaking His vast creation into existence suddenly. What awesome power! God spoke and His creation was completed. Note that the Bible does not begin by trying to prove the existence of God. The Word of God simply starts with a mighty witness concerning God s preexistence with unlimited power, intelligence and glory, sufficient for the purpose of designing a habitable creation and bringing it into existence suddenly. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit worked in complete harmony to produce a perfect creation. This creation will continue as long as God chooses to sustain it (2 Peter 3:10-12). God our Maker has demonstrated His mighty power in creation.

9 8 SPONSOR S GUIDE RELATED SCRIPTURE Job 26:13. Job spoke of God the Holy Spirit at work in the creation. Garnished does not mean furnished. It refers to the splendid brightness of the creation when it suddenly appeared. Psalm 8:3. God s creation originally consisted of sun, moon and stars according to God s design. When we consider the creation, we should realize it is fashioned by the hand of God. Psalm 33:6. Creation was by the word and by the breath. The breath has reference to the Holy Spirit. All the starry hosts of the Heaven were put in place at the command of God. Creation was not a process of commands. Psalm 102:25. Of old refers to the creation of Genesis 1:1, or in the beginning. All of the universe exists as the work of God s own hands, that is, it was done personally by the Lord. Isaiah 42:5. God spoke the command and stretched forth the creation dramatically and suddenly. It was an unveiling similar to stretching out a shower curtain with one motion in a flourish. Isaiah 44:24. God created the vast expanse of the universe at one point in time. It came forth as a baby comes forth in birth. Suddenly, the baby has arrived. God s creation was stretched forth in one command and one act. Isaiah 45:18. God did not create the world in a chaotic, uninhabitable condition. In the original state, God s perfect and complete creation was habitable. God s Word clearly represents God as the Creator. Jeremiah 10:12. The act of creation demonstrated the unlimited power and wisdom of God. There was no design flaw. There were no bugs to work out. God spoke and His creation was complete and perfect. Acts 14:15. Paul spoke of the living God, who created all things. The creation exists as indisputable proof that the allpowerful God of Heaven exists. The living God is eternal, preexisting before creation. Hebrews 1:10. Laid the foundation refers to the work of creation created at a point in time past. The works of thine hands denotes God did it Himself. The primary meaning of works is an act. Hebrews 11:3. Creation was by the word of God. He commanded and it was completed. God made the creation from invisible elements, not from things which could be visible to the human eye. Revelation 4:11. God revealed His glory, honor, power and wisdom by His creation. Every part of His creation should give glory to God. In eternity to come, the Lord will be praised for His mighty act of creation. RELEVANCE OF THE TEXT The work of the Holy Spirit is relevant to every person who has never been born again. To the person who has never been saved, the Holy Spirit pricks the heart with Scripture. Acts 9:5 states, And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. The Holy Spirit stands without the unbeliever to prick his or her heart to bring them to the place of awareness of their sinful condition and need of Christ. If the repentant sinner chooses to trust in Christ, then the Holy Spirit makes him a new creature. Second Corinthians 5:17 states, Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. The creative

10 SPONSOR S GUIDE 9 power of the Holy Spirit makes the believer a new creation in Christ. The work of the Holy Spirit is relevant to every child of God. Through sin and rebellion, the life of a believer gets into a chaotic mess. In the chaos of the changed state of the creation in Genesis 1:2, we find the Holy Spirit at work to restore order, function and usefulness. The word moved gives the idea of a vibrant, continual and powerful movement of the Holy Spirit to restore order, function and usefulness to the chaotic mess of creation. Without form, and void (Gen. 1:2) refers to chaos, an uninhabitable, dysfunctional wreck. Through the mighty power of the Holy Spirit, we see beginning in Genesis 1:3, the reconstruction of the creation. The Holy Spirit does the same work in the life of a believer who has rebelled against God, then realizes his or her life is in a mess, repents and seeks God s help to restore his or her life to order, function and usefulness. Apart from the leadership and power of the Holy Spirit, no child of God has a life filled with meaning and purpose. The Holy Spirit leads, pleads, guides, encourages, teaches and strengthens believers for the purpose of enabling them to be mature, fruitful and faithful servants of the Lord. As God the Holy Spirit shaped and moved in the reconstruction of creation, so He powerfully works to reshape our lives. CONTEMPORARY APPLICATION The work of the Holy Spirit in reshaping the life of a believer could be understood in terms of the potter and the clay. The Holy Spirit is the potter. The child of God is the clay vessel. Jeremiah 18:4 declares, And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. God can remake believers lives or any nation. Jeremiah 18:6 reveals, O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel. The Holy Spirit is at work in the lives of the children of God and nations to shape them according to His perfect will. He works in total agreement with God the Father and God the Son. The Holy Spirit might be at work in your life trying to shape you into a better reflection of Jesus Christ. Be tender to the leading and pleading of the Holy Spirit. If you follow His leadership, He will remake your life to the praise and glory of God. The Holy Spirit has the power to help you overcome personality problems, temptations, afflictions and other things that need to be brought into submission to God s will.

11 10 SPONSOR S GUIDE LESSON 3 March 15, 2009 The Enablement of the Holy Spirit in Workers Lesson Text: Exodus 35:30-35; 36:1-7. Related Scripture: Exodus 40:34-38; Numbers 9:15-23; 2 Chronicles 5:13, 14; 7:2; Isaiah 6:4; Haggai 2:7, 9; Acts 1:8; 2:2-4; 4:8; Revelation 15:8. Application: To show that God never commands without enabling people to do His work. DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS God s Glory Fills His House, 1 Kings 8:10, 11. At the time of the dedication of the Temple, God the Holy Spirit manifested His approval by His visible presence as the glory cloud of God. God s powerful presence in the Temple brought great joy to God s people. With God s presence and power, they realized they could face any enemy, accomplish any work and maintain their witness before the idolatrous Canaanites. Since the Holy Spirit is invisible, God deemed it important to give His people Israel a visible sign of His approval for the work they had finished. The building of the Temple took seven years. The Ark of the Covenant and other furniture were removed from the Tabernacle, the temporary tent-home that had been its abode for many years and placed within the majestic new structure. The priests did the work of placing the table of shewbread, the altar of incense, the candlestick and the Ark of the Covenant in their proper positions as led by the Holy Spirit. The work was done reverently and worshipfully. When God s workers, the priests, were finished, they had done God s work according to God s will and way. The visible presence of the Holy Spirit assured the priests and the people that God was well pleased. The glory cloud of God revealed the Holy Spirit would dwell in the temple. It filled the Temple from the place of the mercy in the Holy of Holies behind the veil. Zechariah 2:10 states, Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the LORD. The Holy Spirit in the form of the glory cloud of God did fill the Temple at its dedication and will do it again in the future millennial kingdom of the Lord. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is power for every work God commands. EXAMINING THE TEXT Exodus 35: When the children of Israel were in the wilderness, Moses by the commandment of God led them to prepare the necessary things for the Tabernacle. Since the Lord s work deserves the best God s people can give, the Holy Spirit enabled Bezaleel to work skillfully in metal work, stone cutting and wood carving. Bezaleel means in the shadow of God. The shadow of God denotes the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit s presence and power as servants of the Lord do His work according to His will.

12 SPONSOR S GUIDE 11 As the chief architect and designer of the Tabernacle, Bezaleel worked according to the plan Moses received from the Lord. Exodus 25:8, 9 states, And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it. He supervised the construction and the manufacturing of its furniture. His work needed the powerful presence of God to enable him to produce the things that were pleasing unto the Lord. Bezaleel was chosen by God for the work. Bezaleel was the grandson of Hur, the great man of faith, who helped Aaron hold up Moses arms for a great victory in the day of battle. Exodus 17:11, 12 declares, And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. Like his grandfather Hur, Bezaleel proved himself to be a man of great faith and willing to submit himself to the leadership of the Holy Spirit. God did not leave him to his own devices and hope for a successful conclusion of this great work. The Holy Spirit led him and overshadowed him to the conclusion of the great work of building and furnishing the Tabernacle. Exodus 36:1-7. The Holy Spirit enabled Bezaleel, his assistant Aholiab and all others who helped in the work to understand how God wanted the Tabernacle to be constructed and how the furnishings were to be made. Aholiab s name means tent of the father. God s work always must be done according to His will and way. Hebrews 8:4, 5 reveals, For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law: who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount. God made it clear to Moses that everything had to be done according to His divine pattern. Moses was responsible for teaching God s will and way to Bezaleel and Aholiab. They in turn instructed the other workers according to the plan of God. Bezaleel, Aholiab and the other workers needed God s wisdom and understanding to do His great work according to His commands. Exodus 31:6 states, And I, behold, I have given with him Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan: and in the hearts of all that are wise hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded thee. The Holy Spirit enabled the workers to have the necessary wisdom and understanding for the work to progress. Their work was a work of the heart. Exodus 35:34 declares, And he hath put in his heart that he may teach, both he, and Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. Both Bezaleel and Aholiab led in the work according to their expertise. Exodus 38:22, 23 reveals, And Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the LORD commanded Moses. And with him was Aholiab, son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver, and a cunning workman, and an embroiderer in blue, and in purple, and in scarlet, and fine linen. When God s workers begin with a heart s desire to please God, use His wisdom and understand God s will and way, He will be well pleased with the conclusion of the work. The Holy Spirit enabled them to accomplish their task.

13 12 SPONSOR S GUIDE RELATED SCRIPTURE Exodus 40: When the work of the construction of the Tabernacle was completed and all things were in place, God approved. The Holy Spirit revealed Himself in a visible manifestation as the glory cloud of God. When God s work is done according to God s will, God is glorified. Numbers 9: God continued to give the visible appearance of His presence abiding in the Tabernacle. The Holy Spirit led the people through the glory cloud of God. Since they camped at God s command and marched at God s command, we can be sure that they were under the leadership of God s Holy Spirit in the wilderness. 2 Chronicles 5:13, 14. At the conclusion of the building of the Temple, God the Holy Spirit gave witness to His approval by the visible manifestation of His presence as the glory cloud of God. When the musicians and the singers praised God, the Holy Spirit filled the Temple like a cloud. 2 Chronicles 7:2. After Solomon finished praying at the dedication of the Temple, the people witnessed the glory cloud of God fill the Temple. The priests were ready to do their work, but had to wait for the shining forth of the glory of God to abate before they could enter. The Holy Spirit demonstrated His approval. Isaiah 6:4. Isaiah described the same glory cloud of God as smoke. In his vision, he saw the Holy Spirit filling the Temple with the glory of the Lord. The purpose of the vision was to enable Isaiah to be burdened and empowered for his work as a prophet. He served faithfully as he was led by the Holy Spirit. Haggai 2:7, 9. In the millennial temple, God promises to again reveal Himself through the glory cloud of His presence. In that time, the Holy Spirit will lead God s people as they worship and serve the Lord. Acts 1:8. Jesus promised the Holy Spirit as another divine leader for His church. He was soon to ascend and leave them with divine supervision. The Holy Spirit would come and fill the role as divine superintendent of the church of Jerusalem. Through His presence and power, churches are able to do the work of the Great Commission. Acts 2:2-4. On the day of Pentecost, the fulfillment of Jesus promise occurred. The Holy Spirit assumed His empowering role as the divine superintendent of the church. Each local church is blessed with the Holy Spirit s presence and power. Acts 4:8. When God-called men stand up to preach the Word of God, they need the power and presence of the Holy Spirit to be successful. The Holy Spirit works in and through the churches as God s preachers preach biblical truth. Revelation 15:8. John s vision of the heavenly sanctuary the original pattern for the Tabernacle and the Temple revealed God the Holy Spirit s manifesting His presence as the glory cloud of God. John called the cloud smoke. RELEVANCE OF THE TEXT God commanded Moses to build the Tabernacle and to furnish it according to the pattern the Lord gave him. Moses did not have the skills to do metal work, stone cutting, wood carving, engraving and embroidering. God did supply people with the necessary skills and empowered them for the work by His Spirit. The Holy Spirit worked in the hearts of Bezaleel and Aholiab to lead and guide them as they fashioned the furnishings and then constructed the Tabernacle. When God commands a work to be done, He

14 SPONSOR S GUIDE 13 always specifies how it is to be done and empowers the workers with the ability to obey His commands. Every time there is a command, there is a corresponding method and empowering. For example, consider Noah and the building of the ark and the work of the churches in the Great Commission. God gave Noah the pattern for the ark. Genesis 6:13-15 states, And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it. God proceeded to give the pattern. God designed the institution of the New Testament church and then empowered it with His Spirit for the purpose of enabling His people to do His will. In the same manner that the ark Noah built and the Tabernacle Moses built had to be by the divine pattern, so does the organizational structure and methods of New Testament churches have to be according to the pattern God has given in His Word. The Holy Spirit makes His power and presence known among God s workers who worship and serve Him according to the God-given pattern revealed in the Bible. God has not given any person or organization the authority to change His pattern by altering the doctrines, making changes in the observance of the two church ordinances of baptism and the Lord s Supper or in the method of doing mission work under the authority of a local church. CONTEMPORARY APPLICATION The work of Bezaleel and Aholiab was different. God expected each man to use his own talents and abilities in serving the Lord. They were both blessed to have the Holy Spirit to empower them and to lead them in the work. God gave them the burden to do His work, the divine pattern to follow, the wisdom needed, the understanding of the leadership of the Holy Spirit and His power for the purpose of equipping His servants in the work He had commanded them to do. God works the same way today. God s servants need more than a burden or zeal for the work. Zeal without knowledge cannot please God. Peter s statement on the mount of transfiguration proves zeal without knowledge does not please God. Matthew 17:4, 5 states, Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. Knowledge without zeal does not please God. The condition of the churches at Ephesus and Laodicea revealed a lack of love for Christ and lukewarmness. (See Revelation 2:1-7; 3:14-22.) God s work of truth must be done according to the leadership of the Holy Spirit.

15 14 SPONSOR S GUIDE LESSON 4 March 22, 2009 The Empowerment of the Holy Spirit in Judges Lesson Text: Judges 13:24, 25; 14:5-7; 15:14-16; 16: Related Scripture: Judges 3:9-11; 3:20; 4:4-9; 11:29; 15:19; 1 Chronicles 12:18; 2 Chronicles 24:20. Application: To show how God empowered men and women to do His work in difficult times. DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS God Empowers Gideon, Judges 6: The leadership of the Holy Spirit moved Gideon to know or to do several things. He knew God was with Him. Surely I will be with thee (verse 16). He knew he had a mission from the Lord. Have not I sent thee? (verse 14). He had God s promise of victory. Thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man (verse 16). He was faithful to worship the Lord in truth. Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD (verse 24). The Bible reveals Gideon built another altar. And build an altar unto the LORD thy God upon the top of this rock, in the ordered place (verse 26). He understood the Lord s command concerning false worship. Throw down the altar of Baal (verse 25). He obeyed God s command. Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the LORD had said unto him (verse 27). He was hated by the people in his city who loved false worship. Then the men of the city said unto Joash, Bring out thy son, that he may die (verse 30). This same Gideon who was led by the Holy Spirit to serve the Lord faithfully and worship Him in truth had such a powerful influence that others gathered to him in preparation to fight against Midian. We see the powerful results of Gideon following the leadership of the Holy Spirit. His faithfulness changed his city, encouraged his father, resulted in successfully opposing false worship and in gathering an army to fight against the enemy. When God s work has little results today, we can be sure there are few like Gideon who are willing to follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit, obey God, worship faithfully in the truth and stand alone if necessary to oppose false worship. EXAMINING THE TEXT Judges 13:24, 25; 14:5-7; 15:14-16; 16: The power of the Holy Spirit upon the judges, priests, prophets and kings for leadership came and went as God pleased. This is a different work of the Holy Spirit than Him indwelling every child of God. We see Samson at times with the power of the Holy Spirit and at other times without the power of the Holy Spirit. David said, Take not thy holy spirit from me (Psalm 51:11). As a child of God, David could never lose his salvation or the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. He knew he could lose the

16 SPONSOR S GUIDE 15 empowering of the Holy Spirit for leadership purposes as king of the people of Israel. The work of the Holy Spirit with the judges, prophets and kings was a matter of empowering them for leadership when God pleased. When judges, priests, prophets and kings disobeyed God, they were in danger of forfeiting God s special empowering by the Holy Spirit for leadership purposes. This empowering work of the Holy Spirit is also different from the work of inspiring God appointed writers to record His Word. Samson was born into a Danite family. They were faithful to the Lord. His parents were instructed to raise him as a Nazirite. A Nazirite was a person of special devotion to the Lord who lived a pure life. Nazirite means separated or consecrated. A Nazarene was a person from Nazareth. Jesus was a Nazarene but not a Nazirite. Other notable men who seemed to be Nazirites were Samuel and John the Baptist. (See Nelson s Bible Dictionary under Nazirite.) Samson s parents were to obey three commands in raising him to be a Nazirite unto the Lord. (1) Samson could not drink any wine. (2) He could not eat any unclean thing. (3) He could not cut his hair. According to the promise given, Manoah s wife did conceive and bear a son whom they named Samson. The name Samson means distinguished. Samson proved himself to be of great power when the Spirit of the Lord came upon him. It is also revealed he was a man who yielded greatly to temptation with women. God expected Samson to be faithful to his Nazirite vow for life. When the Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson, he had amazing strength beyond other men. He killed a lion with his bare hands. God protected Samson by the Spirit of the Lord who came upon him to empower him to kill the lion. Samson was returning from a trip to see a Philistine woman even though he knew it was not God s will. Not too long after God had spared his life and blessed him with the power of the Holy Spirit to kill the lion, Samson again went to see the Philistine woman. His parents were not pleased with Samson s choice. Judges 14:2, 3 states, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife. Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? Rather than choosing a godly woman of Israel to be his wife, Samson sought a wife from among an idol worshiping people. He said to his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well (verse 3). Samson revealed he was willing to fight the Philistines, but he wanted to do it on his own terms. After Samson s repeated disobedience to God and breaking all three of his Nazirite vows he drank wine, he ate unclean food or honey out of the body of dead lion and cut his hair God removed the power of the Holy Spirit from him. He was captured by the Philistines. They blinded Samson, made him work as a slave and used him for entertainment at their feasts and gatherings. After a period of time went by, Samson s hair grew out and he repented of his disobedience to the Lord. He prayed for one more time to have the strength of the Holy Spirit. He took hold of the two main supporting columns in that place and the Holy Spirit strengthened him one last time. When the building collapsed, Samson by the power of the Holy Spirit had once again overcome the Philistines. Although Samson had some great victories in the course of his twenty years as a judge in Israel, he failed to maintain his vow of lifelong purity before God.

17 16 SPONSOR S GUIDE RELATED SCRIPTURE Judges 3:9-11. The cycle of Judges began with God s blessings and a spirit of revival, a time of backsliding, being oppressed by their enemies, a time of repentance and prayer. God sent a judge, victory over the enemy, a return to God s blessings and a spirit of revival. When they prayed for a judge or deliverer, God gave them Othniel, Caleb s nephew. He judged the people of Israel for forty years until his death. Judges 3:20. In answer to the people of Israel s prayer, God gave them a judge named Ehud, who was a left-handed man. He wore a long knife strapped to his thigh under his robe. He obeyed the command of the Lord and went in the strength of the Holy Spirit to Eglon, the king of Moab whose forces were oppressing the people of Israel and delivered to him a message from the Lord. Judges 4:4-9. God used a woman judge named Deborah in a time when no man had the courage to follow the Lord to lead the army of Israel into battle against Sisera and the army of the Canaanite King Jabin. Barak was willing to go to battle only as long as Deborah went with him. God blessed and Israel won the battle, but the victory was won by the faithfulness and courage of a woman. Judges 11:29. Jephthah became judge over Israel when they were oppressed by the Ammonites. The Spirit of the Lord came upon him. Jephthah led the people of Israel to a great victory over enemy forces that greatly outnumbered them. Jephthah prayed for God to give the victory in battle. God answered his prayer by giving the people of Israel a mighty victory over their enemies. Judges 15:19. After Samson was empowered by the Holy Spirit to use a jawbone of an animal to kill many Philistines, he prayed to God for water. He prayed that God would not let him die of thirst or fall into the hands of the Philistines. God heard and answered his prayer. The same jawbone God had blessed Samson to use for victory over the enemy now had a hollow place that God made and filled with water. 1 Chronicles 12:18. The Spirit of the Lord came upon Amasai, the chief of the captains in David s army, for the purpose of giving encouragement to David. He reminded David that God was his helper. David was fleeing from King Saul who sought to kill him. David accepted Amasai and his captains as help from the Lord and made them officers in the army of his followers. 2 Chronicles 24:20. The Holy Spirit came upon Zechariah the son of the priest for the purpose of strength to give God s message to the people of Judah, the Southern Kingdom of Israel. He taught them that they could not expect to be blessed by God as long as they disobeyed His commands and His worship in truth. When God s people forsake the Lord, God withholds His blessings from them. RELEVANCE OF THE TEXT When the people of Israel repented, prayed and turned back to God, the Lord sent them a special deliverer called a judge. God used the judge to deliver the people from the oppression of the enemy. This suppression or chastening experience is the same for children of God today (Heb. 12:5-11). God s chastening is for His children. He chastens because of His great love. God s chastening may seem like affliction or scourging, but it is for the good purpose of correcting His people. When the chastening of the Lord is successful, the lives of God s people will again yield the fruit

18 SPONSOR S GUIDE 17 of righteousness. God chastened the people of Israel by the oppression of their enemies as often as He deemed it necessary. He operates in the same manner today. When God s children need chastening from the Lord, He will do it only as hard or as long as is necessary. God wanted Israel to be a witnessing nation before the Canaanite people in the land. They could not fulfill their purpose if they were guilty of false worship and immorality, the same sins of the Canaanites. When God s people today are guilty of the same sins of those before whom we should have a witness for God, He will surely chastise us. Samson was a man greatly blessed by God for a special work. He was given the presence and power of the Holy Spirit to enable him to serve the Lord effectively. God gave him the strength necessary to have victory over every enemy. The only time Samson was defeated occurred when he disobeyed God. Samson learned the lesson about the spiritual law of sowing and reaping. Galatians 6:7, 8 declares, Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. The rules for spiritual sowing and reaping are three. (1) You will reap what you sow. (2) You will reap later than you sow. (3) You will reap more than you sow. Those who sow the wind will reap the whirlwind. We should learn by Samson s mistakes rather than being guilty of the same sins. CONTEMPORARY APPLICATION It is easy to imagine biblical characters as being larger than life. The Bible gives no indication about Samson s size, so he apparently was a man of ordinary physical size and strength. The difference was the Holy Spirit enabled him to serve with great power at times and win many victories for the Lord. As long as we remain faithful to the Lord in worship and in morality, God will bless us with the power we need to do His work in the churches according to the leadership of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit always leads God s people in accordance with His Word. As long as Samson obeyed God, the Spirit of the Lord came upon him with great power. When Samson disobeyed God, he did not have the power of the Holy Spirit working in his life. There are many today who were born into God s faithful families in true worship, who were brought up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord and then chose to squander their blessings, ignore their spiritual training and forsake the Lord. Like Samson, we will experience defeats, sorrow, afflictions and the mockery of the world when we disobey God. May God help us to be faithful to the Lord to the end of life so that we might have the right influence before those around us.