Stephen, a Spirit-filled Man
Let the Holy Spirit Change us and Guide us
Those who teach children should read study #61 for children.
Prayer. Ask the Holy Spirit to renew your mind and make you to be more like Christ.
Background. In
John 14 – 16, Jesus said that He would return to Heaven and send another
Helper to take his place. The Holy Spirit has no earthly body like Jesus had.
The Holy Spirit lives in us (1 Corinthians 6:19 & John 14:17). Where is He? In you! He guides you. He helps you when you teach others. He shows
you what is right and what is wrong (John 16:8–13).
1. Learn from Stephen to let the Holy Spirit work in us
Find in Acts 6:1–7 what job Stephen had in the Jerusalem congregation.
Find in Acts 6:3 the kind of men they chose for this job.
Find in Acts 6:8–16 what kind of people testified against Stephen.
Follow the flow of Israel’s history in Stephen’s message, Acts 7.
Find in Acts 7:57–59 how the leaders reacted to Stephen’s words.
Find in Acts 7:60 how Stephen reacted to their anger and violence.
Find eight things the Holy Spirit does for us who believe in Christ:
1) In John 14:26, how He helps us to understand.
2) In John 16:8, what He shows us about ourselves.
3) In Acts 1:8, what He gives us power to do.
4) In Romans 8:11–14 what He does for us.
5) In Romans 8:15–17, of what He assures us.
6) In Ephesians 1:13–14, how He guarantees our eternal salvation.
7) In 1 Corinthians 12:1–12, how He equips us to serve.
8) In 1 Corinthians 12:13, where He places us forever.
[Answers:
1) The Holy Spirit teaches us all things (illuminates our minds).
2) He convinces us of our sin.
3) He gives us power to witness effectively for Christ.
4) He gives us new, holy life (rebirth, the new, holy life in God).
5) He assures us we are God’s children and heirs of heavenly riches with Christ.
6) He seals us, guaranteeing us of our heavenly inheritance.
7) He baptises us into the universal Body of Christ.
8) He gives us different spiritual gifts by which to edify the body of Christ.]
2. Plan with co-workers what the believers will do next week
· Visit any believers who are not sure that they have really received the Holy Spirit. Pray for them and ask them to pray to receive the Holy Spirit.
·
If anyone does not
yet understand the work of the Holy Spirit, then explain to them more fully the
eight things listed above that he does for us.
3. Plan with co-workers the coming worship time
Do activities that fit the needs and local customs.
Pray during the worship for the Holy Spirit to transform us and make us faithful servants.
Praise God for victories and healing people received by the Holy Spirit last week.
Talk or sing about the fruit of the Spirit. Ask a creative person to write a poem listing the nine virtues of holiness that the Holy Spirit produces in us believers. Those are listed in Galatians 5:22–23. One might set it to a common tune that the believers can sing.
Tell the story of Stephen. The children will dramatise it later.
Ask the believers questions about the things you found in Acts 6 & 7(from part 1).
Demonstrate how the Holy Spirit changes our hearts. Ask two adults to play the parts of Seeker and Gatekeeper.
Seeker fastens a drawing of a serpent to the front of his shirt. (Copy this picture and cut the paper in the shape of a heart.)
Gatekeeper (Stand on one side and speak in a loud voice)
Seeker: Walk towards Mr. Gatekeeper. Let everyone see the serpent. Say loudly, “Mr. Gatekeeper, please let me enter the Kingdom of heaven.”
Gatekeeper: “Mr. Seeker, you cannot bring that evil thing in your heart in with you.”
Seeker: “But how can I get my sins out of my heart?”
Gatekeeper: (Read in a loud voice 1 John 1:7–9.)
Seeker: “I confess my sins and ask Jesus to forgive me.” (Point to the serpent.) “But how can I remove this ugly thing inside me?”
Gatekeeper: “Even though your sins are forgiven, you cannot enter heaven while you still desire to follow Satan, the old serpent. God will not allow even the thought of evil in heaven. You must let the Holy Spirit change your heart. ” (Read Galatians 5:16–24.)
Seeker: “Mr. Gatekeeper, I asked Jesus to cleanse my sins by his blood. The Holy Spirit now helps me to crucify my old sinful nature a produces in me love and goodness.” (Throw away the picture of the serpent.)
Gatekeeper: “Enter the Kingdom of Heaven!”
Memorise together John 14:15–16.
Ask the children to present their drama about Stephen, and ask questions they have prepared.
Discuss the list of eight things the Holy Spirit does for us (from part 1).
Explain that the night before Jesus died, he told his sad disciples that he was leaving them. Then ask, “How would you feel if the person you loved most were leaving you?”
Explain the mystery of Jesus’ identity with the Holy Spirit. Read John 14:15–17.
· Jesus told them he would not leave them alone. He would send the Comforter.
· Jesus promised, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” (John 14:18).
· Read John 16:13–15. Jesus had said, “I and the Father are One” (John 10:30). He also could have said, “I and the Holy Spirit are One.” God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, although separate Persons, are one in essence, united in the One God, the Trinity.
To introduce the Lord’s Supper, explain how the Old Testament priests served the holy Bread of the Presence on a table before God in the tabernacle (Exodus 25:30). We also will eat bread in God’s presence now, and will do so again in the “marriage feast of the Lamb” in the coming Kingdom.