Filled with the Holy Spirit

Andy Wall
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God wants his people to be empowered to live in the way he wants us to live, and to do what he wants us to do. Andy reminded us why we need to be a church filled with the Holy Spirit.


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God has a plan for your life, and for the lives of everyone in your small group. He has promised to do good to you and to do good through you.

1.What areas of the Christian life do you find the easiest and which are the most difficult? What areas do you think most people need God’s power to work?

(Examples Andy gave were Parenting, Work/Career, Studying, Marriage & Relationships, Friendships, Living a life which honours God, and building God’s kingdom but there are loads of others!)

2.The world talks a lot about goals and what we need to be able to achieve them - what sort of things have you been told you need to do to achieve your goals? What do you think God wants us to do?

(Examples Andy gave were desire, determination & dedication - but it’s likely people will talk about planning, pacing yourself etc - these aren’t bad! But they’re not enough to achieve all that God is calling us to - we need the Spirit to work as well as working hard ourselves)

Read Acts 1:4-5 & 8-9

Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

3.These are the last words Jesus spoke before he ascended to heaven. Why do you think he talks so much about being filled with/baptised by the Spirit? What about the disciples makes you think they needed God’s power?

4.Would you say Jesus described being filled with the Spirit as essential? Why?

Read Acts 2:1-4

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

5.What does Luke point out in the text to show the Holy Spirit had come? What were the people able to do that they weren’t before?

(The coming of the Spirit is evidenced by miracles - both in the arrival in tongues of fire but also in the ability of the believers to now speak in tongues. It’s worth noting that this isn’t the same as the gift of tongues described in 1 Corinthians 12 as it was human languages which people could understand if they spoke that language - they didn’t need a gift of the Spirit to understand it. It’s also worth noting that the Spirit's first priority is to tell non believers about Jesus, and evidence this is true with a miracle, and transform people like Peter to be bold in telling people about Jesus (he preaches later in the chapter)

6.Andy spoke about his experience of being filled with the Spirit. Have you had a similar experience? Ask people to talk about what has happened to them - what are the similarities and differences between people’s experiences?

Read Ephesians 5:18-19 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord.

7.Paul here compares & contrasts being filled with the Spirit with getting drunk on wine. What similarities are there? What differences are there?

8.How can we ensure we continue to be filled with the Spirit?

(It is worth noting that ‘be filled with the Spirit’ here implies a continual or repeated filling in the Greek. The point to make is that just because someone had an experience in the past doesn’t mean they don’t need to continue to seek after a closer walk and empowering by the Spirit)

To close Give people an opportunity to pray for one another to be filled with the Spirit. Remind people that this is only if they are 1) A christian and 2) Want to be filled. This is a great time for people to sing together as well before getting a chance to pray. God loves our faith and when we seek after him, so allow space for people to engage and listen to the Spirit.