Alpha Course, Week 8

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Alpha Course, Week 8

Who Is the Holy Spirit?

Key Verse: Genesis 1: 1-2, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.”

Introduction: The work of the Holy Spirit

  • He’s been ignored — greater emphasis on the Father and the Son
  • He’s been misunderstood — not an “it”

1. He Was Involved in Creation

  • Helped bring order out of chaos (Genesis 1:1-2)
  • Giving life to man (Genesis 2:7)

2. He Comes Upon Particular People at Particular Times for Particular Tasks

  • Gideon, for leadership (Judges 6:14-16)
  • Samson, for strength (Judges 15:14-15)
  • Bezalel, for artistic work (Exodus 31:1-5)
  • Isaiah, for prophecy (Isaiah 61:1-3)

3. He Was Promised By The Father

  • Promise of a new thing
    • “They will all know me” (Jeremiah 31:31-34)
    • “I will put my Spirit in you” (Ezekiel 36:26-27)
    • “A river flowing from the Temple” (Ezekiel 47)
    • “I will pour our my spirit on all people” (Joel 2:28-29)
  • Prophecy unfulfilled for at least 300 years
  • With the coming of Jesus there is a great activity of the Spirit
  • The Spirit rested on a few people
    • John The Baptist (Luke 1:15)
    • Mary (Luke 1:35)
    • Elizabeth (Luke 1:41)
    • Zechariah (Luke 1:67)
    • Simeon (Luke 2:25-27)

4. John The Baptist Links Him With Jesus (Luke 3:16)

  • In Greek, baptizdo means to overwhelm, immerse, plunge, drench
  • Jesus, the spirit-filled man
  • Jesus received the power of the Holy Spirit through baptism (Luke 3:22, 4:1, 14, 18)

5. Jesus Predicts His Presence (John 7:37-38)

  • Jesus tells them to wait in the city until they are clothed with power from on high (Luke 24:49, Acts 1:4-5, 8)
  • At Pentecost the Disciples were filled with the Spirit and received:
    • New languages (Acts 2:4-12)
    • New Boldness (Acts 2:14)
    • New Power (Acts 2:37-41)

Conclusion:

  • We live in the age of the Spirit. God has promised to give his Spirit to every Christian (Acts 2:37-39)

Discussion Questions:

1. Nicky notes that for a long time the Holy Spirit has been ignored and misunderstood. Do you agree with that statement? What do you think of when you think of The Holy Spirit?

2. Nicky calls The Holy Spirit the “Creator Spirit.” What do you think of that image? Is it accurate?

3. When people receive the Holy Spirit it empowers them in a new way. What has been your experience with that? How do you view the Holy Spirit’s role in your life?

4. Nicky mentioned that ideally we need soft hearts and hard feet. What do you think he meant by that?

5. Nicky used the analogy of the dry sponge when talking about how we receive the Holy Spirit. Is that a good analogy? How does that relate to your experience?

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