4 - Wine

God is one but He appears as 3 persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In the previous lesson, we looked at Jesus as the bread of life and God's Word, the Bible. In this lesson we will look at the Holy Spirit and prayer.

Jesus said He is the Bread of Life. We feed on Him by studying His Word. The Holy Spirit represents the fun side, especially when His presence comes powerfully upon us. Sometimes it can be so strong that we need to just stop for a while. That is why I refer to this section as wine. God does however tell us to be filled with the Spirit and not to be drunk with wine. Powerful presence of the Spirit can be intoxicating but it is nothing like being drunk with wine. Wine here is an analogy. I am not advocating drunkenness!

Holy Spirit

I Corinthians 3:16 (ESV)

How are we connected to God?

The Spirit of God dwells inside each one of us - who believe and choose Jesus.

I Corinthians 2:12 (ESV)

Why do we have God's Spirit in us?

There is a lot to learn. God's Word has much to say but without the Holy Spirit we will have a tough time learning about all God has given to us.

John 20:21-22 (ESV)

Here, Jesus is commissioning His disciples. What does He give them to seal their commission?

He gives them the Holy Spirit.

Power

Acts 1:8, 2:2-4 (ESV)

The disciples were sealed with the Spirit in John 20:22 but they were not yet given power. We are to walk in power. How do we get this power?

There is an event we refer to as being baptised in the Spirit. This usually happens in some spectacular way, but not always.

Ephesians 3:15-16 (ESV)

Colossians 2:7 (ESV)

If we walk in power, then we have responsibility to use this power well. What must we do to be ready to walk in power?

We must be rooted and grounded in love. We must know Him, love Him and do what He requires of us.

Prayer

This may seem like a separate subject. In the previous study, we looked at hearing from God through Jesus who is the bread of life and the Word of God. In this study, we look at communicating with God in prayer. Prayer, especially praise and worship, can bring us into the tangible presence of God.

Praise

Psalm 146:1-2

Praise can be many things but here we are talking about praise as a part of our prayer time. What is this form of praise and why do you think it might be important?

This from of praise extolls God greatness in simple words. It helps us remember how great our God is and sets the tone for our time of prayer.

Intercession

Ephesians 6:18-19 (ESV)

2 Corinthians 2:14-16 6:18-19 (ESV)

What is intercession and why is it important?

Intercession is praying for other people, including our leaders. We are in a battle and need to uphold Gods people. We also need to pray for those who do not yet know God that we can present a relevant message and they will understand and come to' Jesus.

Thanksgiving & Petition

Philippians 4:6-7 (ESV)

God already knows what we need. Why do we need to ask for it and why do we need to give thanks.

We are meant to have an active part in our own lives. God wants us to come to Him with our requests and also to give thanks for everything we already have. Then He will also give us His perfect peace.

Confession

I John 1:9 (ESV)

God made us clean when we asked Jesus to come into our lives. Do we still need to confess our sins?

Yes, we must play an active role in our new lives. We are not to just live as we did before we came to Jesus. Part of this is acknowledging when we do the wrong thing.

Presence

There is a big difference between the presence, where God is, and tangible presence where we can feel God's presence.

Psalm 139:7 (ESV)

Is there anywhere we can go to be away from the presence of God?

No. God is omnipresent - everywhere.

Psalm 16:11 (ESV)

What is the advantage of being in God's presence?

There is great joy in His presence.

If God is omnipresent, why do we not have this fullness of joy all the time?

He may be there but not tangible, meaning we are not experiencing His presence.

Psalm 51:11 (ESV)

David had sinned against God. When we sin we can feel God's tangible presence has gone. What was David's greatest fear here?

He did not want to be put out of God's tangible presence.

Psalm 95:2 (ESV)

When we sin, it can feel like God has turned His back on us. (He hasn't.) There are many other things that can also divert us from God's presence. What can we do to come into God's tangible presence?

Praise and worship.

Praise & Worship

Psalms 66:1-3 (ESV)

We saw in the previous section that praise and worship can bring us into God's tangible presence. What does praise and worship look like here?

It can be noisy. It declares God's marvelous deeds.

Psalms 100:1-2 (ESV)

And here?

Singing and being happy.

Psalms 150:1-3a, 6a (ESV)

What else?

We can praise Him in His sanctuary. We can use instruments. We need to use our voice. We need need to mention His mighty deeds.

Prophecy

I Corinthians 12:29-31 (ESV)

Is everyone a prophet?

No, but we are all to seek after the higher gifts

I Corinthians 14:39

Is being able to prophesy the same as being a prophet? What should we be seeking? What are you seeking?

Gifts of the Spirit

There are gifts and abilities given to us by God through the Holy Spirit. There are several lists given in the Bible but they are different. The implication is that there are too many gifts to list and these are given as examples.

Gifts are given freely to all believers. They do not have to be earned and they are not an indication of our depth of relationship with God.

I Corinthians 12:4-6

What does this tell us about gifts.

There are lots of gifts and abilities given. Even though the gifts are different, it is the same Spirit who gives them.

I Corinthians 12:7-8

What does this tell us about gifts.

Different gifts are given to different people so that all may benefit. Our gifts are for the benefit of the community, not for individual benefit.

I Corinthians 12:14-15

How does my gift relate to the rest of the body (Christ's people)?

Every gift is important. We need all the gifts provided by all the people working together.

It is possibly worth reading 1 Corinthians 12, 13 and 14 to get a fuller picture.

Fruit of the Spirit

Unlike gifts, fruit take time to grow. What grows depends on what was planted and cultivated. The more committed we are to God, the more the fruit of the Spirit will grow.

Galatians 5:19-21

What is described here?

This describes unrepentant people.

How do we end up like this?

Following the natural desires of our flash can lead to this.

What are the consequences?

Those who do such things are not saved.

Galatians 5:22-24

What is described here?

This describes a person who is filled with the Holy Spirit

How do we end up like this?

If we have repented, we will turn away from the fruits of the flesh and seek to live the life God wants us live.

How long would this take?

Unlike the gifts that are just given, fruit needs to grow. It takes time. It also take a deliberate decision to repent, to turn away from our own fleshly desires. If we do nor repent then we will never develop the fruit of the Spirit.