Lesson 116 - Elementary

Memory Verse

"The promise is unto you" (Acts 2:39).

Notes

The Upper Room

A great number of people who loved and believed Jesus – 120 in all – were praying together in a large room upstairs in a house in Jerusalem. Peter was there that day, and James and John and many other friends of Jesus. Mary, the mother of Jesus, was also with those who were rejoicing and thanking God together. This was just after Jesus had gone away into Heaven. He had told them that when He went away He would send the Holy Spirit to live in their hearts and comfort them. Now they were waiting for the Comforter – the Holy Spirit – as Jesus had told them to do.

The Holy Spirit would teach them from the Bible how God wanted them to live. He would also give them power so that they could help other people to be saved and live for God.

One Accord

Each one of these 120 people was saved and sanctified. We know that they were saved because they were doing what Jesus wanted them to do. They were not doing the bad things they did before they knew Jesus. We know they were sanctified because they agreed and were happy together. They had it in their heart to believe all that Jesus had told them, and they wanted to tell people in all the world that they should love Jesus and be saved. They needed more help from Jesus to go out and work for Him.

His Coming

"Suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.” The Holy Spirit filled their hearts. They felt the comfort and love that He brought to their hearts. They knew of His coming also because He spoke through each of them words that they did not understand – in a language that they did not know. The Holy Spirit comes into clean sanctified hearts today in just the same way.

Noised Abroad

There were many people in Jerusalem that day. It was a holiday, called the Day of Pentecost. It was something like our Thanksgiving Day, a special time of rejoicing and thanksgiving to God for all His goodness. Some of the people had been born in faraway lands where they spoke different languages from that which the people of Jerusalem and Galilee spoke.

Many people heard what was happening in the upper room. They came and were very much surprised to hear these people of Galilee talking about God in the languages, which they spoke in the faraway lands. Some of those who came wanted to know how they could have this wonderful experience. Some did not believe that this was a blessing from God, and spoke against Jesus' disciples.

Peter's Sermon

Peter stood up and told the people that this was God's Spirit whom He would send "upon all flesh.” We believe that means every saved and sanctified man and woman, boy and girl, who wants Him with all their heart. A prophet named Joel had said that the Holy Spirit would come to the hearts of sons and daughters and servants – to children as well as to grown-up people – and that they would prophesy. To prophesy means to tell others about God and Heaven.

Power

When we are saved and sanctified, we can tell others that we love Jesus and that they should love Him, too; but when we have the baptism of the Holy Spirit, those whom we tell about Jesus feel that they should pray and ask God to forgive them and give them a new heart. The Holy Spirit makes us strong to work for Jesus.

Peter told them how bad it was that they had put Jesus on a cross. But Jesus could not stay in the grave. He rose again and went up to Heaven to be with His Father. Just as He said He would do, Jesus had that very day sent the Holy Spirit to comfort His disciples, and to help them every day to do what the Bible tells all people to do.

Repentance

The people knew that what Peter said was true, and many of them were sorry they had put Jesus on the cross. They wanted to know what they could do so they wouldn't feel guilty any more. Peter told them if they were sorry enough to stop doing wrong things, and asked God to forgive them, they would be saved. Many, many people – about, 3,000 – prayed as Peter told them, and were saved that day. They were to be baptized in water, and to ask Jesus to sanctify them. Then they would also receive the Holy Spirit.

Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit, or he could not have preached as he did.

For You

The promise that Jesus made that He would send the Holy Spirit was not made to the disciples of that time alone, but "the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” God has called us today to love and serve Him. When we are saved and sanctified, we may receive the Holy Spirit, too.

Oh, how happy we are just to think of receiving the Holy Spirit in our hearts! Although many years have passed since that Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit still comes to us when we want Him very, very much and pray for Him to come.

Hungry

One day a young man who loved Jesus and whose heart was clean and holy, heard that he could have the Holy Spirit. He had wanted to tell his friends and others about Jesus, but he was timid and did not speak well. He wanted the Holy Spirit very, very much and prayed at the altar every time he came to church.

Have you ever lain awake at night, wanting something very much? This young man did not want to sleep, but neither did he want to disturb his sister and her husband and children with whom he lived. His little niece and nephew had a playhouse on the back of the lot where they played during the day. He went there and prayed to God at night. Very soon the Holy Spirit came to live in his heart and helped him to tell others about Jesus, and he became a great preacher.

God gives us the Holy Spirit when our hearts are hungry for Him as this young man's was.

Ready for Jesus' Coming

A little boy at the Camp Meeting last year cried because he was not saved. His mother had read to him from the Bible that Jesus is coming some day soon – we do not know just when – to take away with Him the men and women and boys and girls who love Him with all their heart and do what He wants them to do every day.

This boy wanted Jesus to take him when He comes. He prayed at the altar at the close of the children's meeting one morning, and Jesus forgave him and washed his heart clean. This made him very happy, but he knew Jesus wanted him to be sanctified and to have the baptism of the Holy Spirit. In a few days Jesus sanctified him and made his heart more clean and holy. He kept on praying and soon he was filled with the Holy Spirit. Now he prays for others who want to be ready to go with Jesus when he comes. This boy lived for Jesus all through the school year. He listens to the Bible and prays every day. It is wonderful to have Jesus in your heart all through life.

Questions

1. Give the name of the day on which the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus' disciples. [ACT:2:1].

2. How did the disciples know they had received the baptism of the Holy Spirit? [ACT:2:4].

3. Who may receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit? [ACT:2:39].

4. What makes us ready to receive the Holy Spirit? [ACT:2:1].

5. What three things does the Holy Spirit do for us? [JHN:14:16], [JHN:14:26]; [JHN:16:13]; [ACT:1:8].