SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON 20 February 17, 2008

Praying for the Holy Spirit
Theme: The Holy Spirit
Theme Verse: "'Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit', says the LORD of Hosts." Zechariah 4:6
Readings: Acts 1:4-8; Acts 2:37-38; Mark 1:4, 7-8
Memory Verse: "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:8 (Pre-K to grade 3)
      First, a reminder of who the Holy Spirit is. "He", not "it", is God himself, on of the three persons of the one God, the Trinity. He, the Holy Spirit, is God's personal power at work, not impersonal power or "the Force". When we receive God's power it is to do God's work and will, not our own.
      Second, BEFORE we can ask for the Holy Spirit we have to do what comes first. Look at Acts 2:37-38 when the people listening to Peter were "cut to the heart", (strongly convicted of their sins). He told them they had to "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins: and (then) you shall receive the Holy Spirit."
      Repentance has always been the key to salvation in the Old Testament as well as the New. For example, Jeremiah 36:3b says "so that everyone may turn from his evel ways and that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin."
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      Look at Mark 1:4, 7-8. John's calling was to prepare people for Jesus' coming by calling them to a baptism of repentance for their sin. That is always the first step. John expressed how much greater Jesus was by saying he wasn't even worthy to do a slave's work of untying the dusty sandals of Jesus. Then John said Jesus was the one who would baptize people with the Holy Spirit. Jesus is the Baptizer with the Holy Spirit. We ask him to baptize us with the Holy Spirit. There is NO OTHER NAME by which we can be saved. [Baptize is a work from the cloth dying industry. You immerse the cloth in the dye and it comes up a different color, saturated with dye.] Word received: John came to prepare you for Me. You have another opportunity now. Respond, repent, come to Me and receive what I have for you. Don't be afraid. I will never leave you. What I say is true, you can trust Me.
      God had promised in the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) that someday he would pour out his Spirit on all his people instead of just a few people for special jobs. Isaiah 44:3 " for I will pour water on the thirsty land, I will pour out my spirit on your offspring and my blessing on your descendents." Joel 2:28 " I will pour out my Spirit on all people." Then Jesus tells his disciples that he will pour out his Spirit soon. See John 14:16 and Luke 24:49. Then again in Acts 1:4-5, just before his ascension to heaven, he tells them to wait for the promise of the Father, the Holy Spirit. Waiting on God and for God is not usually a passive activity, but active. The disciples, 120 of them, men and women, met together daily and prayed and waited. This kind of waiting is like a waiter in a restaurant. He is both waiting to see what is needed and is busy serving his customers. He gives them his attention and is available for them.
      Jesus did not answer their questions about when God was going to do things. The
Father's timing is under HIS control and that is not where he wants our attention. Jesus
said in Acts 1:8 "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you
will be My witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the
earth." Word received: I want you to have My power so that you can be My witness. You
need the help of My Holy Spirit -- the helper -- to be an effective witness of what I have done.
I have not left you orphans; I have given you a Spirit of adoption by whom you can cry out,
"Abba, Father." (From Romans 8:15)
      In Acts 1:4-8 we have Jesus' promise and his command. Word received: This is why I give My Spirit to you, so you can share My love with others and they will be drawn back to me. After Peter told the people what to do, after they had seen and heard what was happening to the apostles and disciples, about 3,000 (!) people repented, were baptized and received the gift of the Holy Spirit. Word received: This is how it happened in My church early on. It can happen to you too. Choose life!
      Have you made the choice to ask for more of God's Holy Spirit??
      In a few minutes we are going to pray for each other to receive the infilling of the Holy Spirit. This may be for the first time or you may be asking for more of the Holy Spirit, a re-filling. (As Dwight L. Moody once said, "I leak.")
      But first, some words from the Lord, "The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children." (Romans 8:16). A word received: Seek my Holy Spirit; invite him in. I want every one of your to know that you are a child of my father.
"Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." (Romans 8:17) A word received: Don't be afraid. "I have not given you a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." (From 2 Timothy 1:7) These are all blessings from my Holy Spirit. With my Holy Spirit in you with his power you need not be afraid. There is no height nor depth nor anything that can separate you from my love. I will always love you: come to me, let me fill you up.

Prayer: Lord, please show me what you are asking of me.

Teaching Ideas for Lesson 20
      Please read the Study Guide first. Go over Memory Verse to make sure the children understand it and then if they have memorized it.
      Remind them their parents need to sign a report slip monthly if they have read the lessons, so they will get credit at the end of the year.
      Make sure they know what happened in the story. Get them to tell you.

Basic points of the lesson for little ones:
      1.God the Father planned, even in Old Testament times to fill all His people with His Holy Spirit, in his timing.
      2. Before we are ready to receive God's Holy Spirit, we must repent, receive Jesus and receive his forgiveness.
      3. Ask Jesus to baptize you with His Holy Spirit. If you already have, ask for more. There is always more.
      4. Jesus wants to baptize us with the Holy Spirit so we can be active witnesses to his love and be given power to obey and follow him.
      If you have received Jesus and his Holy Spirit, you are a child of God and He loves you!
      5. When God tells us to "wait on him", it doesn't mean do nothing! It means have our attention on him and be available to him (like a waiter in a restaurant.)