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Sun. 18/5/2014

Quarter’s Theme:THE HOLY SPIRIT

Unit 3 Theme: Intimacy With The Holy Spirit (Lessons 9-12)

PRESERVATION AND CONSOLIDATION MONTH

18/5/2014  LESSON  12

COMMISSIONED WITH POWER

Suggested Hymns: G.H.B. 194, 197

Devotional Reading: LUKE 10:16-20

Topic For Adults

WHAT IS YOUR PULSE FOR EVANGELISM?

Topic For Youths

ARE YOU A CONVERT OR DISCIPLE?

Scripture Lessons

LUKE 24:46-49; ACTS 2:1-15

 

Memory verse:    But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. (Acts 1:8) NKJV

 

DAILY BIBLE READING

These Signs Shall Follow You

Mk. 16:15-18

Few weeks ago, we taught about the gifts of the Holy Spirit which can only be imparted upon being baptised in the Holy Spirit. But there are general signs that all who believed in the Lord Jesus genuinely should be experiencing in their Christian journey. These include casting out of demons, speaking in tongues when they are baptised in the Holy Spirit, treading upon the serpent, laying hands on the sick for recovery and never to be hurt by poison. However, the manifestation of all these signs are attached to preaching the gospel. As you go and meet the sick, just pray for them and God will back up your word for you are faithful to His work.

Point of Emphasis:     Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

Prayer Point:              Lord, as I preach the gospel, continue to confirm my words with signs and wonders.     

BACKGROUND

This lesson focuses on the fact that the primary purpose of the power of the Holy
Spirit is to help us in the Great Commission, which is the heart-beat of God in
every generation. We must, thus, demonstrate the purpose of baptism in the Holy Spirit by going beyond speaking in tongues to the spreading of the gospel.

 

NOTES ON THE TEXT

I.     THE GREAT TASK – LK. 24:46-49

After the resurrection, Jesus was making the disciples to realise that not only had the Old Testament Scriptures been fulfilled in His life regarding his death and resurrection but that it also speaks of repentance and forgiveness of sins. Jesus then told the disciples that they were witnesses of His message of repentance and forgiveness of sin and which they must preach to all nations, beginning from their base in Jerusalem. And that this is God’s plan from the beginning. Christ’s gospel has a worldwide scope. God wants the entire world to hear of the Good News of salvation. This indeed is a great task for the people of God.

However, this task of being witnesses was not to be carried out in the disciples’ own strength. Obviously these followers, hiding behind locked doors in fear of the Jews right there in Jerusalem, hardly seemed like the kind of people who could take the message across the world. But Jesus was not expecting them to do it on their own.  He would send what His Father had promised – the Holy Spirit (Jn. 14:15-27; 16:5-15). Jesus instructed them to stay in Jerusalem until they would be filled with power from heaven. Therefore, the great task of preaching repentance and forgiveness of sin and winning souls unto God’s kingdom is not to be done with human intellect, it requires the power and backing of the Holy Spirit. This is why Jesus asked the disciples to tarry for it before going out.

II.    POWER FOR WITNESSING – ACTS 1:8; 2:1-15

Jesus indeed desired to enlist all genuine Christians in the ministry of soul-winning. He therefore, reiterated the need for power for the work before His ascension. He emphatically declared to the disciples that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon them and the purpose of that power was to witness for Christ, which is to preach the gospel with the purpose of winning souls into God’s kingdom (Acts 1:8). Eventually, the power came on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1) and we saw the disciples in the early Church using the power to witness and perform diverse miracles for the expansion of the kingdom.

Let us know that the business of soul-winning is not what a person, no matter how knowledgeable, can do successfully without the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit kindles the interest for soul-winning. He places burden for evangelism in the heart of believers. He gives believers the boldness to witness. He even strengthens the word we preach in the ear and heart of the hearers. He acts on the word we preach by bringing convictions on the hearers. Therefore, the purpose of Pentecost is to empower the disciples to become active and aggressive witness for Christ. No matter how much you speak in tongues, if you have not become a witness for Christ, Pentecost has no real fulfilment in your life.

For those who have truly received the power of the Holy Spirit but who have become weak, weary or unproductive in the art of soul-winning, they must remember that the Spirit power is useless without witnessing for Christ and winning souls into God’s kingdom.

CONCLUSION

All believers have been given the Great Commission to go into the entire world and preach the gospel. But many are afraid to go out and those who go cannot open their mouths to tell others about Jesus and majority of them claim to have received the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues. If you are in this condition, then the Holy Spirit you received is questionable. The power of the Holy Spirit is, first and foremost, for witnessing for Christ and not for show off through speaking in tongues.

QUESTIONS

1.     What is the Great Task given to all believers?

2.     Is it possible to reach the world with the gospel? How?

3.     How and when did Jesus say the disciples will receive power?

4.     What is the primary purpose of the Holy Spirit’s power?

For Audio Version, please click the link below.

http://hu.lk/dnfjkanxdssg

French

DIMANCHE 18/05/2014

CES SIGNES VOUS ACCOMPAGNERONT

MARC 16:15-18

Quelques semaines auparavant, nous avons enseigné sur les dons du Saint-Esprit qui ne peuvent être imparti qu’en étant baptisé du Saint-Esprit. Mais il y a des signes généraux que tous ceux qui croient sincèrement au Seigneur Jésus doivent connaître l’expérience dans leur voyage chrétien. Ceux-ci incluent chasser les démons, parler en langues quand ils sont baptisés du Saint-Esprit, marcher sur les serpents, imposer les mains aux malades pour la guérison et ne point être infligé par aucun poison. Cependant, la manifestation de tous ces signes reste attachée à la prédication de l’évangile. Comme tu pars à la rencontre des malades, prie simplement pour eux et Dieu soutiendra ta parole car tu es fidèle à son œuvre.

Point essentiel : Allez partout le monde et prêcher la bonne nouvelle à toute la créature.

Axe de prière : Seigneur, comme je prêche l’évangile, continue à confirmer mes paroles par des signes et des prodiges.