First Friends Church

“We Are The New Temple for God’s Spirit Fire”

June 18, 2017

REVIEW:Personal Questions about the Holy Spirit

  1. What do you believe the Bible teaches about the work of the Holy Spirit in your individual life, and in the Church?
  2. What have you experienced as evidence of the Spirit’s work in your life? What have we experienced as a church?
  3. What work of the Spirit do you, and we, need most now?

I. Who is the Holy Spirit?“God’s Personal and Powerful

Presence”

II. His Purpose: To fill and immerse us with the life of God.

III. God’s Spirit Is Evident:manifested, visible, audible,

experienced mentally, emotionally, physically, relationally

  • Hebrew word for “spirit” is “ruach” - God’s breath, wind, divine energy to create and recreate.
  • Greek word for “power” is “dunamis” – power, ability, force,“to be my witnesses”.
  • “Fire” – evidence in Scripture of God’s “GLORY”; His presence tolead, purify, refine, burn away impurity.

IV. TEXT: Acts 2:3, 22-47

V. Pentecost fulfills the promise of God’s Spirit moving from

PLACES to PEOPLE.(Joel 2)

  • God’s presence in places as fire:“Burning bush” (Moses), Mt. Sinai (fire & wind), Tent of Meeting and Holy of Holies (Lamp burning), Solomon’s Temple 950 BC (fire consumed sacrifices) and veil separates God’s presence.
  • Solomon’s Temple destroyed 587 BC – crisis of faith.
  • Temple rebuilding projects 500 BC and Herod in 20 BC only to be destroyed again in 70 AD.
  • God’s presence never reported in the temple again!

VI. Jesus is the new human temple for God’s presence!

  • The Word became flesh…pitched His tent among us. Jn. 1
  • The Holy Spirit comes upon Him in baptism – Mt. 3:13-17
  • Veil separating the Holy of Holies room in the Temple is torn in two at Jesus death! No more separation!

VII. Pentecost Shift - God’s Holy Presence Dwells in PEOPLE!

  • Evidence: wind, fire, power to speak new languages
  • Explanation: Peter’s sermon – Spirit promise is fulfilled!

VIII. Peter’s Pentecost Sermon – “Save yourselves…” (2:40)

  • “Veils” still separate us from God’s presence in fullness.
  • Barriers in personal life, relationships, our church?
  • Isolation, Division, Rebellion, Resistance, Fear, Pride, Bitterness, Judging, etc. etc.
  • “Veils” Torn: “Repent, be baptized, receive the Holy Spirit”
  • Move from believing to receiving forgiveness of sin.
  • Move from believing in a Holy Spirit to being filled and baptized with the “fire” of God’s power and presence!

IX. People: We are the new temple of God’s presence!2 Cor. 3

  • Acts 2:42-47 The “Church” is ALL believers filled with God’s presence individually and corporately!
  • Evidenceof the Spirit’s “Fire”: They were devoted to Scripture, prayer, fellowship, love in generosity, glad hearts (joy in God’s presence - Ps. 16), many being saved!
  • Ongoing Transformation: 2 Cor. 3:16-18 “…we all who contemplate the Lord’s glory are being transformed into his image with everincreasingglory…which comes from the Spirit.”

X. “Yield” Prayer: Father, in Jesus’ Name fill and baptize me with

the “fire” of your Holy Spirit. I repent of the “veils” I have

put up to separate any part of my life from you. Fill every

“room” of my life with your personal and powerful presence!