THE CHURCH IN ACTION LESSON 5 A HOLY SPIRIT SATURATED CHURCH LESSON TEXT Acts 1:8 8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Acts 2:1, 4 1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Acts 2:38 38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Acts 8:17 17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. Acts 10:44 44 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. Acts 19:6 6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. FOCUS VERSE Acts 1:4-5 4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. 5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. FOCUS THOUGHT God breathed His Holy Spirit into His followers, and they emerged as a spiritually ignited, equipped, and empowered people through whom the church would begin and grow.
INTRODUCTION Wind and water are both components of storms that can be destructive and even disastrous. They are elements of weather that are pervasive and penetrating. Thunderstorms and hurricanes drench and saturate everything with rain and produce winds of phenomenal force. The Scriptures compare the Holy Spirit to rivers and wells of living water. In the New Testament, Jesus invited the spiritually thirsty to come to Him and drink. Later, when the disciples received the Holy Ghost on the Day of Pentecost, they were able to drink of the rivers of living water as Jesus had promised. Jesus also declared that the coming of the Spirit was like the wind. After His resurrection, He breathed on His disciples and said, Receive ye the Holy Ghost (John 20:22). It was as though He was preparing them for what they would experience through the Spirit s baptism. On the Day of Pentecost, the sound of a rushing mighty wind blew into the place where the disciples had gathered, and it filled all the house. Then they heard yet another sound that of speaking in other tongues as the Spirit gave the utterance. Luke also mentioned that cloven tongues like as of fire appeared to each of them. This fulfilled what John the Baptist had declared about Jesus baptizing believers with the Spirit and with fire. The likeness of the Holy Spirit as wind, water, and fire are examples of the impact that the Spirit s baptism makes on an individual. The Holy Ghost filled the early believers and made them dynamos of change. Likewise, the church today, as a Spiritsaturated entity, can affect the world. I. THE SPIRIT IGNITED THE CHURCH A. The Advent of the Holy Spirit Ever since God created mankind, He has interacted with him to establish fellowship. From the Garden of Eden, where Adam and Eve enjoyed the presence of God, to the construction of the Tabernacle and the Temple, the Lord exhibited a desire to commune with His crowning creation, mankind. The Old Testament lists many miraculous events where God called, directed, and delivered His people. Individually and collectively, they experienced the hand of the Lord in their lives in times of need. None of these incidents, however, was as great as the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that the prophets had promised. Peter wrote that the prophets and angels desired to look into that experience (I Peter 1:10-12). Although the prophets may not have totally understood what would occur, they longed for the fulfillment of this prophecy. Isaiah wrote of God speaking to His people through stammering lips and another tongue (Isaiah 28:11; I Corinthians 14:21). Ezekiel prophesied of both a new heart and new spirit (Ezekiel 36:26-27). Joel foretold the outpouring of the Spirit of God upon all flesh (Joel 2:28). These prophecies occurred centuries before the actual event took place. John the Baptist spoke of the Spirit s baptism just a few years before it happened. A few days before this event occurred, Jesus reminded His disciples of John s words. Mentioning the promise of the Father and the power they would receive when the Spirit came, Jesus instructed His disciples to go to Jerusalem and wait. After they watched Jesus ascend to heaven and heard the witness of the two angels who appeared to them,
the disciples walked to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives. The remaining disciples, Mary, the mother of Jesus, her other sons, and other men and women comprised a group of about 120 who assembled in an upper room. They all joined in continual prayer and supplication as they expectantly waited in unity for the fulfillment of the promise. And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance (Acts 2:1-4). B. The Evidence of the Holy Spirit 1. The Initial Evidence. An event as momentous as the promised Holy Spirit would not come and go in the blink of an eye. After reading all the prophesies and hearing the teachings of Jesus, those in the upper room greatly anticipated the outpouring of the Spirit. Thus, they continued their united prayer vigil. Suddenly, elements of what both John the Baptist and Jesus had said about the Spirit appeared. They heard the sound of a strong wind from heaven that filled the house, and tongues like fire appeared to each of them. John had spoken of a baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire (Matthew 3:11), and Jesus had likened the birth of the Spirit to the blowing of the wind (John 3:8). The house was filled with the sound of a rushing wind, thus demonstrating that God wants to leave out no one. While other sensational displays of God s power were evident, speaking in tongues or other languages is what received the most attention. This joyous, supernatural display continued until a large crowd gathered to hear and see what was happening. People of numerous nationalities present in Jerusalem for the Day of Pentecost were amazed and puzzled to hear this group of Galileans speaking in their languages. Moreover, they understood what was being said, and they exclaimed, We do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God (Acts 2:11). When the crowd inquired as to the meaning of this phenomenon, Peter stood with the eleven to answer their inquiry. Some contend that the purpose of tongues during this time was only to witness to the assembled crowd of different nationalities. However, they all understood Peter s preaching that came later and they asked, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Peter s answer included a promise that both they and succeeding generations would receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 2. The Prophetic Evidence Given by Jesus. As God manifest in the flesh, Jesus displayed the fullness of the Godhead in bodily form. He possessed the Spirit without measure (John 3:34). During His time on earth, He often referred to the promise of the Spirit. First, He told Nicodemus that he must be born of water and of the Spirit (John 3:5). The Book of Acts repeatedly demonstrates that the apostles followed this plan as they led people to salvation. Twice Jesus referred to the Spirit as water to drink. He told the woman at the well in Samaria about living water (John 4:10). He also interrupted the ceremonies on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles by shouting about satisfying thirst with rivers of living water (John 7:37-39). John explained that Jesus was speaking about the Spirit that would come to those who believe according to the Scriptures.
It is significant that the apostle Paul continued to use the metaphor of drinking when referring to the Spirit s baptism (I Corinthians 12:13). We drink with our mouth, which also is where we experience the initial evidence of receiving the Spirit speaking in other tongues. Jesus promised to send the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost. (See John 14-16.) Moreover, He said that the Spirit of truth would come and guide you into all truth (John 16:13). Following the Resurrection the Spirit became a prominent promise. (See John 20:22.) Jesus reminded His disciples of the Father s promise and told them to wait in Jerusalem until they received power from on high (Luke 24:49). 3. The Prophetic Evidence of Joel. Although several prophets spoke of the Spirit s coming, Peter chose to quote Joel s prophecy during his message on the Day of Pentecost. All flesh includes young and old, male and female, and indicates that everyone has the opportunity to receive the promised Spirit. Since the love of God and the sacrificial death of the Lord are for the whole world, so also is the promise of the Spirit. 4. The Collective Evidence. The believers received a promise in Acts 1:8 that assured them of the potential of becoming a power witness, empowering them to positively impact the whole world. These Spirit-filled witnesses of Jesus Christ would begin by spreading the Word to Jerusalem, to Judea, to Samaria, and to the uttermost part of the earth. Samaria was the next region to experience the Holy Ghost after the initial outpouring in Jerusalem and Judea. A tremendous revival had broken out in an unnamed city in Samaria as many believed what Philip preached and were baptized in the name of Jesus. Miracles and signs were evident (Acts 8:13), but none had received the Holy Ghost. Peter and John traveled from Jerusalem to pray that the Samaritan believers also would receive the Spirit. As the apostles prayed and laid hands on these new converts, they received the Holy Spirit. Evidently, Simon the sorcerer saw something supernatural take place, far more than just a new convert raising a hand to acknowledge believing or stepping forward to accept Christ. He apparently saw and heard them speak in other tongues. He saw something that prompted him to offer money to the apostles to purchase the power to bestow this gift, which they promptly condemned (Acts 8:18-24). Apparently, speaking in tongues was the evidence that accompanied the reception of the Holy Ghost, which is consistent with what had happened in Jerusalem in the upper room, later with Cornelius and his household (Acts 10:44-46), and with the Ephesian believers whom Paul met (Acts 19:6). C. The Three Purposes of Tongues 1. Initial Evidence. The Lord gives concrete evidence of a spiritual work at each stage of the salvation experience. Repentance often is accompanied by tears and the feeling of one s burdens being lifted. Water baptism in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins initiates a deepening spiritual experience as a person is immersed in water as the name of Jesus is invoked over him. Further, a person receiving the Holy Ghost demonstrates the evidence of speaking in other tongues other languages. Every step of the way a new believer receives clear confirmations of the spiritual work God is doing in his life.
James identified the tongue as a small member of the body that can cause great trouble. In spite of mankind s ability to tame many other creatures to work and to perform, James wrote, The tongue can no man tame (James 3:8). Perhaps speaking in other tongues is divine evidence that God has taken control of the person who has yielded all to Him. 2. Individual Edification. The apostle Paul wrote that we have the Spirit to help us with our infirmities, or weaknesses (Romans 8:26). Furthermore, the Spirit helps us when we sense a need to pray but do not know what to pray for. It is then that the Spirit begins to intercede through us as we pray in tongues. Paul s directions to the Corinthian church for the proper use of the gifts of the Spirit include a few verses about praying in tongues. He wrote that someone praying in tongues is speaking to God rather than to mankind. Then he contrasted speaking in tongues with prophesying by saying that speaking in tongues is for edifying oneself in prayer, but prophesying edifies the church. He again reinforced the practice of praying in tongues as appropriate to edify oneself and to speak to God. (See I Corinthians 14.) 3. Corporate Edification. Paul continued his instruction for the proper use of the nine gifts of the Spirit in his first letter to the Corinthians. During Peter s message on the Day of Pentecost, he referred to the Holy Spirit as a gift (Acts 2:38), but he never used the words the gift of tongues. The gifts of the Spirit can only operate in the life of a believer after he has initially received the Holy Ghost. Paul limited messages in tongues to two or three one after the other with the interpretation necessary for the church s edification. Otherwise, tongues should be used for personal prayer and the edifying of oneself. It is also good for opponents of speaking in tongues to keep in mind that Paul said, Forbid not to speak with tongues (I Corinthians 14:39). This applies both to using tongues for individual and corporate edification. II. THE SPIRIT EQUIPPED THE BELIEVERS A. With Spiritual Guidance and Wisdom John described the Holy Ghost as the Spirit of truth (John 16:13). Therefore, we expect to receive guidance into more truth from His anointing as He leads us throughout our lives. That is not to suggest we do not have the fullness of truth presently; however, as we grow and mature in Christ Jesus we gain new and fresh insights to the Word of God. Certainly, we can receive no new revelation other than that which the Scriptures present. However, we complete the process of truth when we apply it to our individual lives. As we follow the Spirit s leading, He guides us into more of what God desires to give and to reveal to us. The Spirit s anointing is a wonderful blessing in times of preaching, teaching, testifying, and witnessing of God s truth and goodness. We should passionately seek the saturation of the Spirit s presence in our lives, which prepares us to witness or to defend the truth. Jesus spoke of allowing the Spirit to speak through us when we face opposition and persecution. (See Mark 13:9-11.) He mentioned that councils, synagogue leaders, rulers, and kings would bring the disciples before them for examination, which the early believers later experienced. Numerous times, the apostle Paul appeared before ranking
governmental figures. However, each of the apostles answered thoroughly and even cheerfully as the Spirit prompted them. During times of trial, there is a tendency on our part to worry about what to say. However, we can have confidence in what the Spirit will assist us to say at the appropriate time. A Spirit-saturated life is powerful proof of God s ability to save and to keep those who purpose in their heart to serve Him. B. With Spiritual Fruit and Gifts The purpose of both the fruit of the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit is to enable and to empower the church to supernaturally impact the world. The spiritual fruit and gifts are a natural outgrowth of a Spirit-saturated church. In his letter to the Galatians, Paul provided a vivid contrast between the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit. (See Galatians 5:19-23.) Although he listed seventeen works of the flesh, the list certainly was not a comprehensive list. A person gains nothing positive through any of these fleshly works. The result or effect always is negative for each of them, eventually resulting in spiritual death and eternal loss. On the other hand, the nine aspects of the fruit of the Spirit are positive, and they bolster and build a person spiritually. It is possible for a person who is not Spirit filled to possess a general measure of those characteristics listed as fruit of the Spirit, but he is able to experience their fullness only through receiving the power of the Holy Ghost. (See Colossians 2:10.) The gifts of the Spirit enable a believer and the church to know, to speak, and to act supernaturally. The operation of the gifts of the Spirit is for the benefit of the church and never to glorify the individual through whom they operate. Moreover, every Spiritfilled believer has the potential to operate in any of the gifts of the Spirit (I Corinthians 12:7). C. With Spiritual Leaders Along with the spiritual gifts and fruit that the Lord provides for His church, He also provides godly leadership. The Lord chooses to work through those whom He has selected for leadership. The Scriptures emphatically teach this concept through the event involving Aaron s rod that budded (Numbers 17). God directed Moses to place twelve rods in the Tabernacle, one for each tribe. He then declared to him that the rod that blossomed would indicate whom He had chosen to lead His people. The next day the rod of Aaron of the house Levi not only budded, but also blossomed and brought forth almonds. This supernatural event demonstrated the responsibility not only of the people to follow the leadership that God chooses, but also of the leaders to provide God-inspired leadership that results in abundant life. The ministry that the Lord gave to the church includes apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers for the work of perfecting, ministering to, and edifying the body of Christ. Spirit-led leaders are vital to the revival effort of the church. In the Book of Acts, such leaders followed the Spirit in making determinations on missions, guidance, and the direction of outreach. Later, while church leaders fasted and prayed, the Spirit directed them to select Barnabas and Paul and send them along with the prayers of the church leaders. Spiritual leadership in the church effectively exerted itself when God included Gentiles in the new-birth experience. The church had to decide how they would receive the Gentiles and what would be expected of them. (See Acts 15.) The church then
dispatched Judas and Silas with a message that included the phrase, For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us... (Acts 15:28). III. THE SPIRIT EMPOWERS CHRISTIANS A. Power to Crucify Carnality The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the gospel message. Believers identify with Jesus through the death of repentance, are buried with Him in water baptism in the name of Jesus, and are resurrected to a new life through the power of the Spirit. However, continuing to crucify the flesh is necessary to one s success in spiritual living (Galatians 5:17, 24). For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.... And they that are Christ s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts (Galatians 5:17, 24). Paul mentioned that he identified with Christ s crucifixion (Galatians 2:20; 6:14). Although he was crucified with Christ, he said that he now lived through the faith and love of Jesus. Because of the Cross, he was crucified to the world and the world was crucified to him. This double death indicates how drastic our dying to the world should be and how final our spiritual relationship to it can become. In his letter to the Romans, Paul declared that the Spirit would empower us to mortify, or put to death, the actions of the body. Therefore, the sinful nature of the body must die in order for us to live fully in the Spirit. B. Power to Live Spiritually This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh (Galatians 5:16). There are many things that a Spirit-filled Christian can do. We can both live in the Spirit and walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:25). We can worship God in Spirit and in truth, for the Father seeks such worshipers (John 4:24). Along with the spiritual armor that God provided to help us stand for Him, we also can pray in the Spirit (Ephesians 6:18). The Holy Ghost also empowers us to become living sacrifice[s], renewing our minds so that we do not conform to the continual pressure from the world (Romans 12:1-2). Consequently, we are able to fulfill the will of God in our lives because of His mercy enabling and directing us. C. Power to Overcome the Devil The Scriptures present the contrast between the abundant life that Jesus promised and the enemy s stealing, killing, and destroying (John 10:10). Nothing the devil does for people results in long-term, positive benefits. He will steal a person s joy and happiness, kill his hopes and dreams, and ultimately destroy him. When Jesus sent out His disciples to do His work, they returned rejoicing and reporting that even the devils were subject to them through His name (Luke 10:17). Jesus told them, Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you (Luke 10:19). Later the disciples would realize even greater power through the indwelling of the Spirit.
Thus, they waited in Jerusalem to be endued with power from on high (Luke 24:49). Although the physical presence of the Lord was no longer with them, they soon received a greater spiritual presence than before. Certainly, the abiding presence of the Lord through His Spirit is a powerful resource to overcome Satan. D. Power to Witness Before He ascended, Jesus reminded the disciples about John the Baptist and water baptism, and then He promised that they soon would receive the Spirit. When the disciples asked about kingdom restoration, He instead pointed them to their impending baptism of the Spirit. After receiving the Holy Ghost on the Day of Pentecost, their changed lives and anointed lips for preaching evidenced what the Lord can do through a life surrendered to Him. Peter and John appeared before the Jewish religious council to be questioned about the matter of the lame man s healing. The council saw the boldness of Peter and John and marveled, acknowledging that they had been with Jesus (Acts 4:13). That statement was true, but even more marvelous was that the Spirit of Jesus Christ was in them. After the council forbade them to teach or preach in the name of Jesus, Peter and John gathered with other disciples and began to pray. They specifically asked for boldness to speak the Word of the Lord and for the Lord to demonstrate His power through miracles. The place where they prayed literally began to shake as they were again filled with the Spirit. Moreover, they began to speak the Word of God with boldness. Great power and great grace were with the apostles as they gave witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. E. Power for Resurrection The resurrection of Jesus Christ was a common theme of the apostles preaching. The believers knew the power of the Resurrection personally. Paul taught the Romans that the death, burial, and resurrection are what the believer experiences in salvation. He compared walking in newness of life to Christ s being raised from the dead. Further, he said that identifying with Jesus in the likeness of his death results in the likeness of his resurrection (Romans 6:5). This powerful change in the believer s life produces freedom from sin. The apostle Paul stated his strong desire to know Jesus in the power of His resurrection. (See Philippians 3:10-11.) He also focused his faith on the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, further stating that he looked to heaven and the Lord s return. Paul s emphasis on the Resurrection reveals the believer s hope of being caught up in the rapture of the church (Romans 8:11). (See also I Corinthians 15:52-54.) But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you (Romans 8:11). CONCLUSION The twenty-first-century church can be saturated with the Holy Spirit as was the first-century church. Only then will it grow and show the increase that the Lord intended. A Holy Spirit saturated church will light the world with the fire that also equips it to act,
to speak, and to know supernaturally through spiritual gifts. It also will be fruitful through godly qualities of the Spirit as it gives witness to the Lord s power through miracles, healing, and deliverance. However, the most important work of the church is to show others the way of salvation. The Holy Ghost enables believers to experience more than only emotional release through joyful and exuberant worship. The Spirit provides even more than the power for a believer to speak in a language unknown to him. The primary work of the Spirit is to change believers into the Lord s likeness (II Corinthians 3:18). Every believer should prepare for that day of ultimate change and reach out to others to help them prepare as well.