Know: Recognize the foundational importance of the Pentecost.
Feel: Experience the influence of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Christian as an individual and in the church as a community.
Do: Share real-life incidents of how the Holy Spirit enriched his or her personal and community life.
Learning Outline:
Know: The Promise and the Pentecost
What are some of the promises that Jesus made regarding the Holy Spirit (read John 14:15-18, 16:8-14, Acts 1:8)?
How were these promises fulfilled at Pentecost (read Acts 2:1-12; 16-21, 38, 39)?
Feel: The Preparation and the Proclamation
How were the disciples prepared to receive the Spirit on the day of Pentecost (read Acts 2:1, 2)?
Is it possible to separate the reception of the Spirit and the proclamation of the message He gives? Explain.
At Pentecost, how did the Spirit enable the disciples to proclaim the message given to them?
Do: The Power of the Spirit and the Harvest of Souls
When God’s redemptive plan is preached through the power of the Holy Spirit, what kind of results may be expected (read Acts 2:36-41)?
Summary: At Pentecost, when the disciples gathered in one accord, in study and prayer, God poured out upon them the Holy Spirit. How can we experience this outpouring today?
Learning Cycle
Step 1—Motivate
Spotlight on Scripture: Acts 2:38
Key Concept for Spiritual Growth: Even though Pentecost is not the first bestowal of the Holy Spirit upon God’s people, we should never forget that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost represents a mighty occurrence in the history of redemption. The risen Jesus spent 40 days with His disciples, teaching them, no doubt, about the meaning of the Cross and the empty tomb, about the fulfillment of the promise that He would not leave His followers helpless after His ascension (John 14:16, 17), and about the outpouring of the Spirit to fulfill the great gospel commission (Matt. 28:19, 20; Acts 1:8). The Spirit that was present at Creation and in the new-birth experience (John 3:5) is also the Spirit who will conclude the gospel commission.
Just for Teachers: While Pentecost is a significant event in church history, we must not make the mistake of assuming that the work of the Spirit began only on that day. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit are eternally present, co-eternal, co-existent, and co-equal. When God said, “ ‘Let Us make man in Our image’ ” (Gen. 1:26, NKJV), He refers to the plurality of three Persons and the singularity of one purpose. When Paul says, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God” (2 Tim. 3:16), he refers to the active role of the Holy Spirit in the Written Word of God. From Creation to the new heavens and new earth, all three members of the Godhead are active participants. This week’s lesson on the Holy Spirit gives us fresh emphasis on how the Spirit works both within the individual disciple and in the community of the faithful. Luke mentions the Holy Spirit some 55 times in the book of Acts (NKJV), leading some scholars to describe the book as the gospel of the Holy Spirit. The early church was indeed a Spirit-filled church. So must today’s church be.
Discussion: From the time of the Pentecost, the Holy Spirit became the overwhelming reality of the life and ministry of the church. Invite some class members to choose one of the following passages and indicate how the Spirit guided the work of the church:
Acts 2:14-21
Acts 4:31
Acts 8:29
Acts 10:19; 11:12
Step 2—Explore
Just for Teachers: Though a Gentile, Luke had a commanding grasp of Jewish history, customs, and laws. Thus, in his account of the beginnings of the Christian church, Luke leans on the Old Testament feasts of Passover and Pentecost. Passover memorializes God’s deliverance of Israel from Egyptian bondage (Exod. 12:1-28, Lev. 23:5-8), and Pentecost is a festival of gratitude to God for the Firstfruits (Exod. 34:22, Num. 28:26) and harvest (Exod. 23:16). The New Testament interprets the Passover as being fulfilled at the Cross: “Christ, our Passover, . . . sacrificed for us” (1 Cor. 5:7, NKJV). The New Testament also sees the Pentecost, coming 50 days after the Passover/Crucifixion, as being fulfilled in the events of Acts 2 when the descent of the Holy Spirit yielded the first great harvest of 3,000 souls (Acts 2:41). Let this week’s lesson study reinforce three aspects of the Holy Spirit: (1) preparations for receiving the Spirit; (2) Spirit-filled preaching; (3) the results of Spirit-filled preaching.
Bible Commentary
I. Preparations for the Spirit (Review Acts 2:1-13 with the class.)
After His resurrection, Jesus spent 40 days with His disciples, “speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3). Their time with Jesus was perhaps the most intense preparation period for the disciples—both for knowing more about the gospel and for the task of taking the gospel to the ends of the earth. Jesus “commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem but to wait for the Promise of the Father” (Acts 1:4, NKJV). Evangelism, without the infilling of the Spirit, is empty and futile. Hence, the preparation: “These days of preparation were days of deep heart searching. The disciples felt their spiritual need and cried to the Lord for the holy unction that was to fit them for the work of soul saving. . . . They were weighted with the burden of the salvation of souls. They realized that the gospel was to be carried to the world, and they claimed the power that Christ had promised.”—Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, p. 37.
The disciples waited. They prayed. They studied. Then suddenly on the day of Pentecost, when they were all together in unity in one place, in prayer and purpose (Acts 2:1), it happened. God's Spirit, like a “rushing mighty wind," filled the house, “and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:2, 4, NKJV). With the coming of the Spirit, all the days the disciples had spent with Jesus—all their questionings, the Cross, the open tomb—were imbued with a deeper meaning and significance.
Consider This: One incident that “amazed and marvelled” the multitudes that gathered in Jerusalem from different parts of the world is that each group heard the disciples preach in their own language (Acts 2:7, 8). At least 16 such language groups are identified in Acts 2:9-11. What do you understand is meant by this “gift of tongues”? (Compare with 1 Corinthians 14.)
II. Spirit-Filled Preaching (Review Acts 2:14-19 with the class.)
The first sermon of the Christian church, recorded in Acts 2:14-39, gives us three essentials of preaching—its inspiration, its rooting, and its content.
Inspiration for preaching remains the same today as it was on Pentecost: “They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak” (Acts 2:4, NKJV). Without the empowering of the Spirit, without total commitment to the Word that the Spirit has inspired, no real preaching can take place. It is the Spirit’s power that empowered Peter to preach his first sermon. A preacher is born, not out of scholarship or eloquence or skill or wealth, but of the Spirit. A sermon is a miracle wrought by the Spirit, constructed out of commitment to the Scripture, and expressed through humble lips of clay.
The rooting of every sermon is God’s Word. Nearly fifty percent of Peter’s sermon in Acts 2 is quotations from the Old Testament. A sermon that does not spring from the Bible cannot make the living Word come alive before the congregation. Without the inspired Word, how could we speak about the Incarnate Word? A sermon must begin with that understanding and be rooted firmly in God’s revelation. It is that biblical perspective, illuminated by the Holy Spirit, that led the apostles to connect what was happening on that day to Joel’s prophecy. “This is that,” Peter thundered (Acts 2:16). Preaching must be able to connect the present with the past and then point to the future.
The content of the sermon must always be Jesus—Jesus incarnate, crucified, risen, ascended, soon to return. To Jesus’ followers, there was no doubt about it: “The disciples were to carry their work forward in Christ’s name. Their every word and act was to fasten attention on His name, as possessing that vital power by which sinners may be saved. . . . Christ’s name was to be their watchword, their badge of distinction, their bond of union, the authority for their course of action, and the source of their success.”—Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, p. 28.
Consider This: Peter’s sermon often refers to “This Jesus.” How does the apostle use this phrase to convict his audience?
III. The Results of Spirit-Filled Preaching (Review Acts 2:38-42 with the class.)
Effective, Spirit-filled preaching must lead the audience to one singular goal: indeed, the audience must be “cut to the heart” and ask, “ ‘What shall we do?’ ” (Acts 2:37, NKJV). The Pentecostal preaching, with the manifest display of the Spirit’s power and with the apostle’s Bible-centered and Spirit-empowered preaching, shook the city of Jerusalem, and the masses turned to Peter, asking, “What shall we do?” No sermon should end without someone asking that question. Preaching is not entertainment. It is not information doled out. Preaching is talking about “this Jesus,” leading the people to His cross, showing them His wounds, describing His triumph, offering them His hope, and inviting them to accept Him as their Lord and Savior. A sermon that does not invite listeners to respond to Jesus reflects either the preacher’s timidity or lack of confidence in the Holy Spirit’s power to change lives.
Consider This: An effective sermon should bring the sinner to baptism in the name of Jesus. It should affirm the saint in the reception of the Holy Spirit. How can a modern disciple of Jesus make such a sermon a part of his or her life?
Step 3—APPLY
Just for Teachers: Are you surprised at the result of Pentecost? A baptism of 3,000 on a single day in Jerusalem! Where there is the Word, where there is the Spirit, there is power, and the church grows. That was Peter’s message. And that is our challenge.
Thought Question: From the beginning of their history, Adventists have been known for evangelism. Are our evangelistic methods today effective? If not, why not?
Step 4—Create
Just for Teachers: Among some Christian groups, speaking in tongues is held as an essential sign of having received the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:6 speaks of varied language groups that had assembled in Jerusalem, hearing the message in their own language. Some were amazed. Others thought that the group was drunk. The issue of speaking in tongues has been problematic in the church ever since. The apostle Paul gives some good advice on how to deal with the issue of speaking in tongues in a way that does not negatively affect unity among believers. Discuss Paul’s advice to the church regarding the subject of tongues in 1 Corinthians 14.
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Key Texts: Acts 2:1-13, 22-39; Joel 2:28-32
The Student Will:
Learning Outline:
Know: The Promise and the Pentecost
Feel: The Preparation and the Proclamation
Do: The Power of the Spirit and the Harvest of Souls
Summary: At Pentecost, when the disciples gathered in one accord, in study and prayer, God poured out upon them the Holy Spirit. How can we experience this outpouring today?
Learning Cycle
Step 1—Motivate
Spotlight on Scripture: Acts 2:38
Key Concept for Spiritual Growth: Even though Pentecost is not the first bestowal of the Holy Spirit upon God’s people, we should never forget that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost represents a mighty occurrence in the history of redemption. The risen Jesus spent 40 days with His disciples, teaching them, no doubt, about the meaning of the Cross and the empty tomb, about the fulfillment of the promise that He would not leave His followers helpless after His ascension (John 14:16, 17), and about the outpouring of the Spirit to fulfill the great gospel commission (Matt. 28:19, 20; Acts 1:8). The Spirit that was present at Creation and in the new-birth experience (John 3:5) is also the Spirit who will conclude the gospel commission.
Just for Teachers: While Pentecost is a significant event in church history, we must not make the mistake of assuming that the work of the Spirit began only on that day. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit are eternally present, co-eternal, co-existent, and co-equal. When God said, “ ‘Let Us make man in Our image’ ” (Gen. 1:26, NKJV), He refers to the plurality of three Persons and the singularity of one purpose. When Paul says, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God” (2 Tim. 3:16), he refers to the active role of the Holy Spirit in the Written Word of God. From Creation to the new heavens and new earth, all three members of the Godhead are active participants. This week’s lesson on the Holy Spirit gives us fresh emphasis on how the Spirit works both within the individual disciple and in the community of the faithful. Luke mentions the Holy Spirit some 55 times in the book of Acts (NKJV), leading some scholars to describe the book as the gospel of the Holy Spirit. The early church was indeed a Spirit-filled church. So must today’s church be.
Discussion: From the time of the Pentecost, the Holy Spirit became the overwhelming reality of the life and ministry of the church. Invite some class members to choose one of the following passages and indicate how the Spirit guided the work of the church:
Acts 2:14-21
Acts 4:31
Acts 8:29
Acts 10:19; 11:12
Step 2—Explore
Just for Teachers: Though a Gentile, Luke had a commanding grasp of Jewish history, customs, and laws. Thus, in his account of the beginnings of the Christian church, Luke leans on the Old Testament feasts of Passover and Pentecost. Passover memorializes God’s deliverance of Israel from Egyptian bondage (Exod. 12:1-28, Lev. 23:5-8), and Pentecost is a festival of gratitude to God for the Firstfruits (Exod. 34:22, Num. 28:26) and harvest (Exod. 23:16). The New Testament interprets the Passover as being fulfilled at the Cross: “Christ, our Passover, . . . sacrificed for us” (1 Cor. 5:7, NKJV). The New Testament also sees the Pentecost, coming 50 days after the Passover/Crucifixion, as being fulfilled in the events of Acts 2 when the descent of the Holy Spirit yielded the first great harvest of 3,000 souls (Acts 2:41). Let this week’s lesson study reinforce three aspects of the Holy Spirit: (1) preparations for receiving the Spirit; (2) Spirit-filled preaching; (3) the results of Spirit-filled preaching.
Bible Commentary
I. Preparations for the Spirit (Review Acts 2:1-13 with the class.)
After His resurrection, Jesus spent 40 days with His disciples, “speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3). Their time with Jesus was perhaps the most intense preparation period for the disciples—both for knowing more about the gospel and for the task of taking the gospel to the ends of the earth. Jesus “commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem but to wait for the Promise of the Father” (Acts 1:4, NKJV). Evangelism, without the infilling of the Spirit, is empty and futile. Hence, the preparation: “These days of preparation were days of deep heart searching. The disciples felt their spiritual need and cried to the Lord for the holy unction that was to fit them for the work of soul saving. . . . They were weighted with the burden of the salvation of souls. They realized that the gospel was to be carried to the world, and they claimed the power that Christ had promised.”—Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, p. 37.
The disciples waited. They prayed. They studied. Then suddenly on the day of Pentecost, when they were all together in unity in one place, in prayer and purpose (Acts 2:1), it happened. God's Spirit, like a “rushing mighty wind," filled the house, “and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:2, 4, NKJV). With the coming of the Spirit, all the days the disciples had spent with Jesus—all their questionings, the Cross, the open tomb—were imbued with a deeper meaning and significance.
Consider This: One incident that “amazed and marvelled” the multitudes that gathered in Jerusalem from different parts of the world is that each group heard the disciples preach in their own language (Acts 2:7, 8). At least 16 such language groups are identified in Acts 2:9-11. What do you understand is meant by this “gift of tongues”? (Compare with 1 Corinthians 14.)
II. Spirit-Filled Preaching (Review Acts 2:14-19 with the class.)
The first sermon of the Christian church, recorded in Acts 2:14-39, gives us three essentials of preaching—its inspiration, its rooting, and its content.
Inspiration for preaching remains the same today as it was on Pentecost: “They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak” (Acts 2:4, NKJV). Without the empowering of the Spirit, without total commitment to the Word that the Spirit has inspired, no real preaching can take place. It is the Spirit’s power that empowered Peter to preach his first sermon. A preacher is born, not out of scholarship or eloquence or skill or wealth, but of the Spirit. A sermon is a miracle wrought by the Spirit, constructed out of commitment to the Scripture, and expressed through humble lips of clay.
The rooting of every sermon is God’s Word. Nearly fifty percent of Peter’s sermon in Acts 2 is quotations from the Old Testament. A sermon that does not spring from the Bible cannot make the living Word come alive before the congregation. Without the inspired Word, how could we speak about the Incarnate Word? A sermon must begin with that understanding and be rooted firmly in God’s revelation. It is that biblical perspective, illuminated by the Holy Spirit, that led the apostles to connect what was happening on that day to Joel’s prophecy. “This is that,” Peter thundered (Acts 2:16). Preaching must be able to connect the present with the past and then point to the future.
The content of the sermon must always be Jesus—Jesus incarnate, crucified, risen, ascended, soon to return. To Jesus’ followers, there was no doubt about it: “The disciples were to carry their work forward in Christ’s name. Their every word and act was to fasten attention on His name, as possessing that vital power by which sinners may be saved. . . . Christ’s name was to be their watchword, their badge of distinction, their bond of union, the authority for their course of action, and the source of their success.”—Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, p. 28.
Consider This: Peter’s sermon often refers to “This Jesus.” How does the apostle use this phrase to convict his audience?
III. The Results of Spirit-Filled Preaching (Review Acts 2:38-42 with the class.)
Effective, Spirit-filled preaching must lead the audience to one singular goal: indeed, the audience must be “cut to the heart” and ask, “ ‘What shall we do?’ ” (Acts 2:37, NKJV). The Pentecostal preaching, with the manifest display of the Spirit’s power and with the apostle’s Bible-centered and Spirit-empowered preaching, shook the city of Jerusalem, and the masses turned to Peter, asking, “What shall we do?” No sermon should end without someone asking that question. Preaching is not entertainment. It is not information doled out. Preaching is talking about “this Jesus,” leading the people to His cross, showing them His wounds, describing His triumph, offering them His hope, and inviting them to accept Him as their Lord and Savior. A sermon that does not invite listeners to respond to Jesus reflects either the preacher’s timidity or lack of confidence in the Holy Spirit’s power to change lives.
Consider This: An effective sermon should bring the sinner to baptism in the name of Jesus. It should affirm the saint in the reception of the Holy Spirit. How can a modern disciple of Jesus make such a sermon a part of his or her life?
Step 3—APPLY
Just for Teachers: Are you surprised at the result of Pentecost? A baptism of 3,000 on a single day in Jerusalem! Where there is the Word, where there is the Spirit, there is power, and the church grows. That was Peter’s message. And that is our challenge.
Thought Question: From the beginning of their history, Adventists have been known for evangelism. Are our evangelistic methods today effective? If not, why not?
Step 4—Create
Just for Teachers: Among some Christian groups, speaking in tongues is held as an essential sign of having received the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:6 speaks of varied language groups that had assembled in Jerusalem, hearing the message in their own language. Some were amazed. Others thought that the group was drunk. The issue of speaking in tongues has been problematic in the church ever since. The apostle Paul gives some good advice on how to deal with the issue of speaking in tongues in a way that does not negatively affect unity among believers. Discuss Paul’s advice to the church regarding the subject of tongues in 1 Corinthians 14.