Part 1
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 2:1-17, 22-24, 32-47
Optional: Acts 1:12-14
Memory Verse: "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the Name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Acts 2:38 (Pre-K to grade 3)
BACKGROUND The Feast of Pentecost is the second major feast of the Jews. Remember when Paul was in a hurry to get to Jerusalem by Pentecost? It came 50 days or 7 weeks after Passover. It is also called the Feast of Weeks. It was originally a harvest festival of the First Fruits and the wheat harvest. People offered freewill offerings as God had blessed them. See Deuteronomy 16:1-17, Leviticus23:15-21, Exodus 23:16. Later it also came to be associated with the day that the Law was given. Word received: I gave you the First Fruits when I gave you My Son and the Holy Spirit to start the church. Do we, adults and children, give the first fruits of our lives to the Lord? Do we put him first or give him the leftovers? The other two great Feasts were Passover in the spring and in the fall, with the last harvest, the Feast of Ingathering or The Feast of Booths/Tabernacles. Then they gathered in their fruit, grapes and olives. The first two (Passover and Pentecost) are now also major Christian celebrations. We can look forward to the time when the third one (The Feast of Booths) will also have its Christian fulfillment.
Setting: This really happened . It is reliable history. Read Acts 1:12-14. After Jesus' ascension to the Father to sit at His right hand, many of Jesus' followers (120) returned to the upper room of the house where some of them were staying. Notice the emphasis on their unity as they obediently waited! They were "all together in one place" "in one accord" (vs.14)
Now look at 2:1. "When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place". A word received: That is the work I want my Spirit to do in you: to be of one accord in me. Word received: I intended for each one of you to support one another and I still want that for you. Pray for each other, care for each other. You are much stronger in a community than by yourselves.
"And suddenly there came a sound from heaven like a rushing, mighty wind and it filled the whole house where they were sitting." (Acts 2:2) Word received: Listen for the wind of My Spirit. My Spirit is blowing through the church. Are you ready? Next "there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat on each of them." (2:3) Word received: The fire of My Spirit is for all---all whose hearts are ready. Pray for hearts made ready by My Word and Spirit. PRAYER: Lord, we pray for ourselves and the children. Set our hearts on fire for you by the power of Your Holy Spirit. Lord, baptize us again with your Holy Spirit and with fire! (Stop and pray. You have to ask.)
"And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:4) Now look at James 3:6-8. "And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison." A word received: You can choose the fire of hell or the fire of my Spirit. You cannot on your own tame the tongue, but with the help and power of my Spirit your tongue can be brought under my control.
Pause and reflect on how much your tongue (your speech) is under the control of the Holy Spirit. Offer your words and thoughts to Jesus and ask him to bring your tongue under the control of his Holy Spirit. Many see the day of Pentecost as a reversal of the Tower of Babel. Look at the map and see where all those Jews from many countries had come from--and not just around the Mediterranean Sea either. Reflect of God's timing when the maximum number of people could hear and respond to this event. Think about how widespread the Good News abut Jesus would be spread when they went home! "And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven." (Acts 2:5) A word received: You have men and women from many nations dwelling among you. Do you see them or are they invisible to you. Come to me; let me show you how to seek them out. I will guide you by my Spirit.
Drawn by the sound like a mighty wind, crowds gathered and were puzzled to hear these people from the upper room speaking in their own languages, telling them the "mighty works of God" Some said, What does this mean? Others said They're drunk! Since they were all Jews at this point, probably the might deeds of God would have been things they already knew about as works of God. How could all these ordinary Galileans speak in all those languages?
NOTE; There are two kinds of tongues in the New Testament. 1.) There are "tongues"/languages the speaker doesn't know that are recognized by others as a language they know, as in this example. At Christ Church, this has happened twice, both involving Akemi Hio and Japanese. Once in a prayer meeting she asked for prayer and Dn. Hy Bryant prayed for her in tongues and she told him it was Japanese. (He didn't know it.) The second time was in a Women's Aglow meeting where she was the speaker. During worship someone gave a message in "tongues" but no one interpreted it and we were all uneasy. When Akemi got up to speak she said it was like a Psalm in Court Japanese!
2.) The other kind is a Spirit-given prayer language that the speaker doesn't know. If someone else is given the interpretation, it is a form of prophecy. If no one knows, then it is for a person's private prayer to God and is spoken quietly or silently to God. Paul corrects the Corinthian church about their misuse of the latter kind.
Then Peter (vs.14) is filled with the power of the Holy Spirit and boldness, the same Peter who had recently denied knowing Jesus when a maid asked him! The first thing Peter says is that they are not drunk. It's too early! (9 a.m.). He begins with the prophecy of Joel which they are seeing fulfilled. Word received: My word is available to you too, to live out. I want to work among you now as I prophesied through Joel. Trust Me, receive Me. Receive and act on what I have for you now.
Then Peter begins to tell them about Jesus, God's plan and their sin. Then he emphasizes Jesus' resurrection and King David's prophecy which is about Jesus and his resurrection. (vs.22). David is dead and buried (and so are the leaders and founders of all religions--except Jesus!) Word received: Speak My gospel in as many ways as you can. You can never say it too many times. Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men. We have good new to share. Jesus has conquered sin and death and "death has been swallowed up in victory". "O death were is your sting? The sting of death is sin…but thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 15:54-57)
Peter's punch line is that Jesus has not only been raised from the dead but "we are witnesses" (vs.32). In 1 Corinthians 15:3-6 Paul tells about all who witnessed Jesus' resurrection appearances, "most of whom are still alive!" Then Peter says that Jesus in now seated on the throne in heaven at the right hand (best place) of God and has just poured out his Holy Spirit which you see and hear! (Verse 34 in another fulfilled prophecy by David.) Have you ever seen God at work?
In verses 33-40 Peter repeats and explains more of the Gospel. as Peter concludes with "God has made him both Lord and Christ (Messiah)-- whom you crucified, "the truth gets through to them and they are "cut to the heart" and cry out for help. Word received: Only when people are cut to the heart can I get in. It's a spiritual surgery and you must be willing to allow it to happen. This is serious work. Every child of mine is worth My Son's death. My Son's sacrifice can never be measured. It means that much to Me.
NOTE: on "cut to the heart". It is essentially the same as "circumcision of the heart" in Deuteronomy 30:6 and Romans 2:29.
Peter's answer to "what shall we do?" is in verse 38, our Memory Verse. It is both invitation and a challenge. Read it aloud together. About 3,000 responded! Word received: When you receive the Holy Spirit you will be filled with My light. It will cut you to the heart, but it will also fill you with joy and comfort and peace. It is only through the Holy Spirit that the words of the Bible come to life.
When we as individual Christians or the church don't talk about sin and the need for repentance, we are not being kind but closing off the path to life. In the Prayer Book, page 332, just before Communion, are several verses that comfort us from the "Comforter", the Holy Spirit. If we truly repent and turn to Jesus we will receive his forgiveness and his life. (Insert "comfortable words)
How did the church nurture these baby Christians and help them to grow? See verses 42-47. 1.) They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship. (They hung out with them.) 2.) They shared in the "breaking of bread" (Eucharist) and in the prayers. 3.) They shared everything with each other and spent time together in each others homes and ate together. 4.) There were signs and wonders that God did through the apostles and were filled with praise to God. 5.) They also worshipped together in the temple. Word received: I want you to bring people in by witnessing to My love and then worshipping Me by giving glory to me.
Teaching Ideas for Lesson 21
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. On the Day of Pentecost God fulfilled the promise and prophecy about the pouring out of his Holy Spirit on his people who turned back to him. God is faithful to his promises. We can trust him.
2. God want us to have a very close relationship with him, by knowing Jesus, his Son, and receiving his Holy Spirit.
3. God gave the gift of the Holy Spirit to the early church to guide them and help them witness to others about Jesus.
4. God wants to give us the same Holy Spirit today.
5. God wants us to ask for his Spirit, and be ready to receive what he has for us. Pray now and ask God to make you ready to receive the Holy Spirit. Then ask Jesus to baptize you with his Spirit. (if you already did this, ask for more.)
