Getting to know the Holy Spirit: After Pentecost - How did the disciples move in the power of the Holy Spirit? Part 1.

How did the disciples move in the power of the Holy Spirit after Pentecost? 
Acts Chapters 3 - 12

Acts 3:

1. Peter heals a lame beggar – vs 1-10

2. Peter boldly speaks to the Jewish crowd about Jesus, whom they killed, being the Messiah the Old testament prophets spoke about – vs 11-26.

Acts 4:

1. The apostles continue to preach Jesus boldly and the number of believers increases to    about 5000 – vs 1-4

2.  Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, speaks boldly to the religious leaders of Jerusalem – vs 8-21

3.  The believers get together and pray and one of their prayers is that the Lord would give them boldness to speak the Word and for the Lord to stretch out his hand to heal and perform signs and wonders – vs 23-30

This prayer was answered immediately:

Acts 4:31 (NIV)

After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

4. The believers come together in unity, sharing all their possessions and nobody went       without and the apostles continued to testify of the resurrection of Jesus with great power – vs 32-37

Acts 5:

1.   Ananias and Sapphira die suddenly after lying to God – vs 1-11

2.   Fear of God seized the whole church – vs 11

3.   Many healings, miracles, signs and wonders are performed by the apostles – vs 12-16

4.  The apostles are persecuted by the high priest and Sadducees, arrested and thrown in prison but are miraculously released by an angel of the Lord – vs 17-41

Acts 6 & 7

1.   God uses Spirit filled people to spread the Word and reach the lost – 6:3-7

2.   The Holy Spirit empowers Stephen to perform great signs and wonders and to face     persecution and death without flinching – 6:8-15; 7:all

Acts 8

1.   Philip in the power of the Holy Spirit performs many signs and wonders, healings and demonic deliverance – vs 4-8

2.  The laying on of hands facilitates the impartation of the Holy Spirit to others who desire to be Spirit filled – vs 9-25

3. An angel of the Lord instructs Philip to leave Jerusalem and go to Gaza where he witnesses to an Ethiopian eunuch and baptizes him. The eunuch then carries on his journey taking the gospel with him – vs 26-39

4. The Holy Spirit supernaturally transports Philip to another town after baptizing the eunuch and there he starts preaching the gospel in Caesarea – vs 39-40

Acts 9:
1. Saul’s miraculous conversion from Christian persecutor-in-chief to Gospel preacher-in-chief, instigated by the Lord in the power of the Holy Spirit – vs 1-30

2. The Holy Spirit encourages the Church – vs 31

3. Peter travels around the country visiting the Church and heals a paralytic called Aeneas and prays over a dead woman, Dorcas, and sees her life restored – vs 32-42

Acts 10:
1. Cornelius, a Gentile and a Roman centurion, has a vision of an angel of God who tells him to send for Peter. Cornelius obeyed immediately and sent three men to fetch Peter – vs 1-8

Some important facts to remember about Cornelius:

· He was devout and God-fearing

· He prayed regularly

· He gave generously

· He recognized that God was speaking to him

· God answered his prayers

2. Peter’s vision – vs 9-23

Some important facts about Peter’s vision:

· The vision was God’s way of preparing him to mix with Gentiles who were considered by    Jews to be unclean. Confirmed in vs 28-29

· Peter heard the Holy Spirit telling him to go with the three men that Cornelius had sent to fetch him

· Peter is obedient and goes with the three men

3. Peter at the house of Cornelius – vs 23-48

· Cornelius tells Peter that he and his household were there so that they could hear everything that the Lord commands Peter to tell them – vs 30-33

· Peter speaks and tells them all about Jesus and the gospel of salvation – 34-43

· The Holy Spirit came upon all those that were listening to Peter and they started speaking in tongues. The Jews were astonished that the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles – vs 44-46

· All the Gentiles were then water baptized – vs 47-48

Acts 12:
1. Peter miraculously released from prison by an angel – vs 1-19

2. Herod struck down by an angel of the Lord and died – vs 21-23

3. The word of God continued to spread and flourish – vs 24

May the name of Jesus be lifted up and glorified!