“God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.” (Acts 10:38)

Introduction

Illustration:

• Imagine farmland with perfectly planned fields, quality soil, excellent seed, and a complete irrigation network, but the main water source has been turned off—the crops will wither without the water!
• We need the life giving flow of the Living Water of God’s Spirit.

Review:

• Last week: We established who the Holy Spirit is.
• Next week: We will think through how we can partner with the Holy Spirit.
• Today: We will explore what the Holy Spirit does.
  • What did he do in the life of Christ?
  • What did he do in the early church?
  • What does he do today?

What did he do in the life of Christ?

Introductory Thoughts:

• Modern temptation: Think the Spirit’s work began after Jesus ascended (book of Acts).
• Reality: The Holy Spirit played a major role from the beginning to the end of Jesus’ earthly life and ministry (the gospels).
  • So what did he do in the life of Christ?

The Divine Agent of the Incarnation

• Jesus was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit.
• Angel to Mary:

  • “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.” (Luke 1:35)

• Angel to Joseph:

  • “…that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 1:20)

Publicly Inaugurated Jesus’ Ministry

• Context: The Promised King
  • Original creation: God as King with human representatives
  • The rebellion: Mankind rebels, curse unleashed, darkness reigns
  • The promise: New King promised through Abraham, David, prophets
• Jesus is that anointed King.

  • “And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.'” (Matthew 3:16-17)

    • Significance: Anointing, coronation—the King!

Led and Empowered Jesus’ Work

• Jesus lived as the perfectly Spirit-filled human

• Consistently guided by the Holy Spirit

• Spirit didn’t just appear at baptism and leave

  • “The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness.” (Mark 1:12)

  • “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” (Matthew 4:1)

  • 40 days of temptation under Spirit’s guidance
• Consistently empowered by the Holy Spirit
  • Peter’s testimony:

    • “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.” (Acts 10:38)

  • Jesus’ own testimony:

    • “But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” (Matthew 12:28)

      • Direct link: Spirit’s power = Kingdom arriving

Informed, Enabled, and Guided Jesus’ Ministry

• The Reading from Isaiah 61 (verses 18-19)

  • “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:18-19)

    • The Spirit-Empowered Mission

Aided Christ’s Death, Resurrection, and Ascension

• In His Death:

  • “…Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God…”(Hebrews 9:14)

    • The Spirit integral to Christ’s self-offering
    • Not a victim but a Spirit-empowered victor
• In His Resurrection:

  • “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.” (Romans 8:11)

    • Clear implication: Spirit raised Jesus
    • Same Spirit will raise us
• After His Resurrection:
  • Continuing Guidance

    • Luke opened the book of Acts by stating that after his resurrection and “until the day he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen” (Acts 1:2).

      • Post-resurrection commands given through the Spirit
      • Spirit still directing the mission
  • The Transfer of Power

    • “Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.” (John 16:7)

Consider

• Key Question: Is your pneumatology Christological?
• Example: How to win a basketball game—temptation, deliverance, good, death, resurrection.
  • Youtube: how to win a basketball game
    • learn to play calm
    • how to play like you practice
    • every dunk contest that changed basketball forever
    • full court buzzer beater

What did he do in the early church?

Introductory Thoughts:

• The Spirit’s work moved outward from Jesus to the church.
  • Acts of the Holy Spirit
• Premise: Without the Spirit, nothing would’ve happened.

Came Upon the Church at Pentecost

• Fulfillment of multiple promises:
  • John the Baptist’s Prophecy

    • I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” (Mark 1:8)

  • Jesus’ Instruction
    • Jesus told them to wait for this promise (Acts 1:4-5).

    • “And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” (Luke 24:49)

• Dramatic, powerful
  • Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4)
  • Peter’s Explanation

    • “Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.” (Acts 2:33)

  • Massive Gospel Impact

    • “So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.” (Acts 2:41)

• The Mission Launched

  • “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

    • Acts follows this geographic and ethnic outline
    • Christ’s message from heaven: “You cannot accomplish my mission without my Spirit. I am going to help you get the job done.”

Broke Through at Key Moments

• Samaria: ethnic barriers (Acts 8:14-17).
• Caesarea: religious barriers (Acts 10:44-46)
  • About 10 years after original Pentecost
  • Peter: “The Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning” (Acts 11:15)
• Note: Additional “Pentecosts”
  • Series of smaller moments
  • Fresh outpourings on God’s people
  • Aftershocks of Pentecost
  • Each one advanced the mission

Became Available to Anyone

• Joel’s Promise Fulfilled

  • “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit.” (Joel 2:28-29, quoted in Acts 2:17-18)

    • The Old Era: Spirit on select leaders at select times
    • The New Era: Spirit poured out on “all flesh”
    • No Gender Barriers: Sons AND daughters
    • No Age Barriers: Old AND young
    • No Social Barriers: The serving class could receive the Spirit

Began Indwelling Believers

• The New Reality
  • Most significant aspect of new era
  • Spirit now indwells EVERY believer PERMANENTLY
  • The Father and Son make their home in us through the Spirit.
• Sealed at Belief

  • “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” (Ephesians 1:13-14)

    • Sealed when we believe
    • Spirit as guarantee/down payment
    • see also 2 Cor. 1:21-22
• Bodies as Temples

  • “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own.” (1 Corinthians 6:19)

Consider

• The advancing nature of the Spirit of God
• So what did he do in the early church?
  • He came upon them, broke through at key moments, established a worldwide community, became available to anyone, and began indwelling Christ’s people.
  • And he’s still working in similar ways today.
• Key Question: Is your pneumatology missional?
• Example: Open vs. Closed Home

What does he do today?

Introductory Thoughts:

• The work that Jesus began and the early church experienced, the Holy Spirit continues by dwelling in and working through the church.

Helps Us

• The Promise of “Another Helper”

  • And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth… (John 14:16–17)

    • Everything disciples had with Jesus continues.
• The Advantageous Exchange

  • “Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.” (John 16:7-8)

    • Why advantageous?
      • Jesus’ ministry was localized
      • Spirit brings conviction to entire world
      • Spirit indwells every believer everywhere
      • Ministry becomes universal, not local

Empowers Us

• The Promise Fulfilled
  • We are still living out the Acts 1:8 promise of power.
    • Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and ends of the earth.
• Paul’s Testimony

  • “For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ.” (Romans 15:18-19)

• The Pentecost Pattern Today
  • Tongues at Pentecost = world missions inaugurated
    • Old pattern: Nations flow TO Jerusalem
    • New pattern: Church flows FROM Jerusalem
  • Spirit marks this outward focus
    • Still sending us out today

Transforms Us

• Ezekiel’s Promise Fulfilled

  • “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.” (Ezekiel 36:26-27)

    • New heart promised
    • Spirit placed within
    • Empowerment for obedience
    • see also Jer. 31:33, Heb. 8:10
• The Progressive Nature

• “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18)

• Our Predestined Goal

  • “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son…” (Romans 8:29)

    • Conformed to Christ’s image
    • This is our destiny
• Our Required Cooperation

  • “For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.” (2 Peter 1:5-7)

    • Make every effort
    • Supplement your faith
    • Active participation required
    • Example: Vocal cords—whispering: air and inaction hurt.

Consider

• Key Question: Is your pneumatology transformational?
• Example: Massuese vs. Trainer
• Living Water Flowing Today

  • “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” (John 7:38-39)

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Study Questions

Head (Knowledge, Facts, Understanding)

1. How did the Holy Spirit participate in the life of Christ from His conception to His resurrection and ascension (Luke 1:35; Matthew 1:20; Acts 10:38; Romans 8:11)?
2. What were the key works of the Holy Spirit in the early church, especially at Pentecost and in the spread of the gospel (Acts 2:1–4, Acts 8:14–17, Acts 10:44–46)?
3. According to Scripture, what are the present ministries of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers today (John 14:16–17; Acts 1:8; 2 Corinthians 3:18)?

Heart (Feelings, Impressions, Desires)

1. How does knowing that Jesus Himself relied on the Spirit’s guidance and power shape your feelings about your own dependence on the Spirit?
2. When you consider the Spirit’s indwelling presence, what emotions or desires are stirred in your heart toward God and His mission (Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 6:19)?
3. In what ways have you personally experienced the Spirit’s comfort, conviction, or empowerment in moments of weakness or decision?

Hands (Actions, Commitments, Decisions, Beliefs)

1. What steps can you take this week to more actively cooperate with the Spirit’s work of transformation in your life (2 Peter 1:5–7)?
2. How might you lean on the Spirit’s empowerment to share Christ more boldly in your community (Acts 4:31)?
3. What practices could help you become more aware of and responsive to the Spirit’s leading in daily decisions and relationships?