Pentecost
Acts 2.1-21
FOR STARTERS: How would you answer a non-Christian who asked you: “Just what is the Holy Spirit, and what does the Holy Spirit do?”
Background information:
Originally Pentecost was the middle of 3 annual Jewish harvest festivals. It took place 50 days after the Passover and was a time when the people offered up a grain offering – the first fruits of the new grain Mount Sinai, which, it was claimed, happened 50 days after the exodus from Egypt. There would have been many thousands of devout Jews who came Jerusalem from far and wide to celebrate this major festival.
“Without the Holy Spirit, Christian discipleship would be inconceivable, even impossible. There can be no life without the life-giver; no understanding without the Spirit of truth, no fellowship without the unity of the Spirit; no Christlikeness of character apart from his fruit, and no effective witness without his power. As a body without breath is a corpse, so the church without the Spirit is dead.” (John Stott)
Q.1 To what extent do you agree/disagree with this statement?
READ Acts 2 verses 1-13 – “They were all together’’ It is highly likely that this is the same group of about 120 people mentioned in Acts 1.15.
Look closely at these verses to see what evidence there is of the Holy Spirit in action.
Q.2 what do you make of the reaction of the crowd?
The events of that day cannot be repeated – just like the events of Good Friday. However, the benefits of that day, like Good Friday, are for all time. The point of Pentecost is to give us the Holy Spirit.
Q.3 what has the Holy Spirit done in the life of our church in recent months that has grabbed the attention of others? If the answer is “nothing”, then why is that so?
Q.4 how might we see the Holy Spirit present today?
READ Acts 2 verses 14-21
Q. 5 how does Peter’s use of Joel’s prophecy (Joel 2.28-32) explain what was happening?
There was an amazing response to Peter’s appeal (41).
Q. 6 how do you account for this, and could it happen today in Ashtead?
PRAYER
Thank God for the gift of the Holy Spirit, and for the promise of the new creation both now and in the future. In a time of quiet, encourage each individual to bring to God and issues which need resolving: physical and spiritual threats, persistent sins, wrong attitudes, relationships which seem beyond repair, seemingly impossible situations. And give thanks to God that he hears and will answer in ways which will, ultimately, be for our best.
Pentecost is often used as an opportunity to encourage Christians to reaffirm their commitment to Christ. If it is appropriate, you might like to use the following liturgy:
As we celebrate Pentecost, I call upon you to live out what you proclaim:
Empowered by the Holy Spirit, will you dare to walk into God’s future, trusting him to be your guide?
By the Spirit’s power, we will.
Will you dare to embrace each other and grow in love?
By the Spirit’s power, we will.
Will you dare to pray for each other until your hearts beat with the longings of God?
By the Spirit’s power, we will.
Will you dare to carry the light of Christ into the world’s dark places?
By the Spirit’s power, we will.