Week 6 | Chapters 18-20 | Why I'm Still Surprised by the Power of the Holy Spirit
Introduction
About Table Communities
Table Communities are community gatherings for the purpose of:
- Building meaningful relationships through intentional time together
- Engaging in mutual discipleship through directing one another towards Christ with truth shared in love
- Multiplying grace through love, prayer and gifts of the spirit
The notes will guide you through praying together, reading scripture and engaging in intentional relational time together. The time together is not about getting through all the note content, but rather about building meaningful relationships, engaging in mutual discipleship and experiencing God's multiplying grace. Let those values shape the direction and pace of your time together.
Remember: What we all have in common
Saint : Beloved, forgiven, being renewed, filled with the Holy Spirit.
Sufferer : Carrying real pain and struggle.
Sinner: Still in need of ongoing grace and transformation.
Kick off with prayer
Some one pray for your time together.
Example prayer, if needed. Ideally pray freely as you feel called:
Father we praise you for gathering us together. Despite whatever weighed on our hearts as we entered this house, we pray that your Spirit guides our time together and free us from anything that is not of you. We pray that by the strength of your might we may speak truth in love to one another. We pray that we are led by the gifts of your spirit, so that we may build up one another and your church as a whole. As we read your word, we pray that we may be filled with the knowledge of your will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner pleasing to you.
The Empowering Spirit: Chapters 18-20
Looking at what the work of the Spirit in Luke and Acts.
Video - Setting the Scene
Please watch this video together.
Discussion
Discussion Questions
Chapter 18: Filled with the Spirit in the Gospel of Luke
Christians are looking for “the secret” to an easy Christian life
Thinking being “baptised or filled with the Holy Spirit” is going to make everything easy - this is not what the Scripture teaches.
Jesus did not fill the disciples with his Spirit to make their lives easier or better
Is the filling, baptism, indwelling, receiving etc of the Spirit all the same thing?
When do they occur…
The Holy Spirit reveals Jesus…when you are filled with the Spirit you testify about Jesus (John, Mary, Zachariah)
Chapter 19: Filled with the Spirit in Acts
5 examples of people being filled with the Holy Spirit:
1- Pentecost
Acts 2v1-13
To be filled with the Spirit is to be Empowered to reveal Jesus to unbelievers
2 - Acts 4v8
Empowered to testify to Jesus to unbelievers
A temporary experience of power when needed
3 - Acts 4v31
The power of the early church was in its prayer…
4 - Acts 9v17
Saul, preaches to the whole synagogue
5 - Acts 13v9
Paul preaches to Sergius
God empowers us when we reach out to the lost.
Not a formula, a relationship with God
Chapter 20: Full of the Spirit in Luke and Acts
Luke is flexible in the way he use “full of the Spirit” (character and empowerment or both)
Listen to the Sermon on the work of the Holy Spirit
See acts series for the Work of the Holy Spirit
Habit of Grace
Going Deeper
PRAYER
Spend some time praying for each other.
SCRIPTURE TO READ TOGETHER
Acts 2:1–4 — The Spirit fills the disciples at Pentecost, and they begin to speak in other tongues.
Acts 4:29–33 — The believers are filled again after prayer and speak the word boldly, with great grace on them all.
Read these verses together as a group.
What stands out to you? what do you notice?
RECOMMENDATIONS
Listen to this Sermon on the work of the Holy Spirit: (put link here)
If you would like to do a deeper study of all the work the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts
Here is an outline (It covers every section where the Holy Spirit is mentioned):
Acts 1v1-11, 2v1-4 Empowered Life
Grace to live for God
Acts 2v42-47, Empowered Community
Grace to say no to individualism
Acts 4v23-37, Empowered Prayer and Proclamation
Grace to Pray Grace to Proclaim
Acts 6v1-7, Empowered Serving
Grace to love others
Acts 7v54-60 Empowered Suffering
Grace to face all things
Acts 10v34-48, Empowered Rescue...God saves!
Grace for salvation
Acts 13v1-5, Acts 16v6-10 Empowered Guidance
Grace to be led (Led by the Spirit)
Acts 13v44-52 Empowered Joy
Grace for a transformed heart
Acts15v22-35 Empowered wisdom
Grace to know what to do
QUESTIONS
If you have questions of your own, you can of course discuss them with your group or someone you know. You're also welcome to reach out to one of the Elders with further questions.