* LESSON
* HANDOUT
Bible Memory Verse:
“…the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name…” John 14:26
"And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever–the Spirit of truth…" John 14:16-17
"…Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit," Ephesians 1:13
WHERE IS JESUS NOW? HOW DID JESUS GO INTO HEAVEN AFTER HE HAD BEEN ON EARTH? Some day He is coming back in the same way He left. He left in the clouds and He is coming back in the clouds.
WHAT IS JESUS DOING IN HEAVEN? (Praying for us–Hebrews 7:25 and preparing a place for us–John 14:1-3)
Before Jesus returned to heaven, He told His disciples that He would not leave them without Someone to comfort them. He promised to send His Holy Spirit to them. “For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.” 1 Corinthians 2:11
When the Holy Spirit came upon them, they would receive courage to tell everyone that because Jesus had risen and defeated death and the devil, anyone could go to Heaven. They could go to heaven if they believed that Jesus was God’s one and only Son.
The Holy Spirit would teach them truth and would take care of them.
In the Old Testament, God said through His prophet Joel, “I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophecy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.” Joel 2:28,29
Jesus commanded His disciples, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John (the Baptist) baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Acts 1:5
After Jesus had gone into heaven, the disciples went to Jerusalem just as He had told them to do. They began to praise and thank God for His Son, Jesus. They thanked Jesus for dying on the cross for their sins. They thanked Him for everything He had given them: “Every good and perfect gift is from above…” James 1:17
While the people were praising God, suddenly there was a sound like a roaring wind. The wind seemed to be right in the room with the disciples and other people. Then what looked like flames of fire settled on their heads. By this they knew that the Holy Spirit had come. The people began to speak in languages they had never learned before. The Holy Spirit gave them this ability. This made people realize that something wonderful had happened to them.
Peter, one of the disciples, had been so afraid he had run away when Jesus was crucified and had said he didn’t know Jesus. Now, with the help of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, Peter spoke to the people who were there and over 3,000 believed in Jesus. The Holy Spirit had given Peter the power and the words to tell others about Jesus.
If you believe in Jesus and ask Jesus to forgive your sins, the Holy Spirit will come to live in you, too. You can’t see Him, but you can know He is with you every day. This is the job of the Holy Spirit–the Holy Spirit:
(1 Counsels–He helps you with your problems. You can ask God for help anytime with any problem. Nothing is too hard for God to help you with.
(2 Sanctifies–He makes us more and more like Jesus.
(3 Convicts–The Holy Spirit lets us know when we sin. He also lets us know what we should be doing. He doesn’t just tell us when we do something wrong: He also tells us how to make it right.
(4 Guides–The Holy Spirit will tell us what to do and where to go if we ask Him. Sometimes He will protect us from danger. There is a story of a Christian who missed the plane they were supposed to take. Later they found out that plane had crashed. The Holy Spirit had kept them from dying in a plane crash.
He will give you power to tell others about Jesus. He will help you live the way Jesus wants you to. He will teach you truth, comfort you, give you joy and peace and love for people. Because He lives in us, we know that we will go to Heaven someday to live with Jesus forever.
QUESTIONS:
1. What did Jesus promise to give His disciples when He went back to heaven?
2. What were the disciples commanded to do until the Holy Spirit came?
3. What happened when the Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost?
4. What was different about the disciples after they received the Holy Spirit?
5. What does the Holy Spirit do?
6. How can we receive the Holy Spirit?
THE HOLY SPIRIT
Bible Memory Verse:
“…the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name…” John 14:26
Words to choose from: EVERYWHERE, TRUTH, HELPS, HEAVEN, FOREVER, PROTECTS, CLOUDS, COURAGEOUS, PRAYING, SPIRIT
1. Right now Jesus is in __ __ __ __ __ __.
2. Jesus went back to heaven in the __ __ __ __ __ __.
3. In heaven Jesus is __ __ __ __ __ __ __ for us.
4. Jesus promised to give His disciples the Holy __ __ __ __ __ when He went back to heaven.
5. When the Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost the disciples became more __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __.
6. The Holy Spirit is __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ .
7. The Holy Spirit teaches us __ __ __ __ __.
8. The Holy Spirit __ __ __ __ __ when we have problems.
9. The Holy Spirit __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ us from danger.
10. Someday Christians will go to live __ __ __ __ __ __ __ with Jesus in heaven.