2014 NOVEMBER WEEK FOUR LESSON

LESSON ELEVEN (11) 

THE PERSONALITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

MEMORY VERSE


“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor to be with you forever- the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” John 14: 16-17 (NIV)

INTRODUCTION

The Holy Spirit who is the third person in the God Head (Trinity) is a personality. Christians of today should eagerly seek Him after accepting Jesus as their Lord and savior.  A right knowledge of who the Holy Spirit is, affects everything we do, say and think about Him. A proper understanding of the Holy Spirit, therefore, can transform our lives. It must therefore be said for a fact that we are living in the era or dispensation of the Holy Spirit and that any Christian or Church organization that fails to acknowledge the teaching and direction of the Holy Spirit is bound to fail, or merely exist as a religious club.

Today some people doubt the personality of the Holy Spirit. They consider Him a power, a force or an energy, and not a person. However, Scripture shows clearly that He is a person (a Being).
Despite the importance of understanding the Scriptures as a whole, there is much confusion and superstition in the minds of many people about the Holy Spirit. It is our intention in this lesson to present the true understanding of what the Bible teaches about the subject of the personality of the Holy Spirit.

This lesson will however help you get answers to these questions;

a.       Is the Holy Spirit a person, or one that possesses "personality"?

b.      Is the Holy Spirit simply an "influence", or "impersonal force that emanates from God?

c.       Why is the Holy Spirit a person? His Personal Characteristics.

WHY IS THE HOLY SPIRIT A PERSONALITY

A)    THE HOLY SPIRIT SPEAKS

1)      What does 1 Tim 4:1 say and who is speaking?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

2)      Go to that chariot and stay near it. Who said this according to Acts 8:29?

………………………………………………………………..

3)      According to Acts 10:19-20, Peter was given a charge to execute. Who gave that charge and what was it?

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

4)      Reading from Acts 13:1-4, what did you observe the Holy Spirit do?

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

B)     THE HOLY SPIRIT TEACHES

5)      According to Jn. 14:26, the Counselor who was to teach the Apostles and to remind them of all things was referred to as? …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

It is worthy to note that Jesus consistently used a personal pronoun “He” “Him” to refer to the Holy Spirit and not "it" (implying a being, not an impersonal force) – Jn. 14:16-17, Jn. 16:7-13

C)    THE HOLY SPIRIT BEARS TESTIMONY ABOUT CHRIST

a.      According to John 15:26, what would the Holy Spirit do when He comes?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

b.      Just as the apostles (who were "Personal Beings") would bear
         witness, so also the Holy Spirit Jn. 15:27

D)    THE HOLY SPIRIT GUIDES

c.       According to John. 16:13, what will the Holy Spirit do?     

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

E)    THE HOLY SPIRIT FORBIDS

d.      What did the Holy Spirit do according to Acts 16:6-7?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

This He did by "forbidding" them and "not permitting" them, despite their initial efforts. Sometimes the Holy Spirit can forbid us from making certain decisions.

F)     THE HOLY SPIRIT INTERCEDES

e.       The "Spirit Himself (note Paul's use of the personal pronoun) …………………………..” Rom 8:26

G)   THE HOLY SPIRIT POSSESSES PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS

f.       According to Rom 8:27, he who searches our hearts knows …………………………………………………….

g.      1 Co 2:11 suggests that He has knowledge because He knows ………………………………………………….

h.      Humans have affection (love) so do the Holy Spirit. What does Romans 15:30 say?

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

i.        According to 1 Cor. 12:11, who decides which person to receive which gift(s)?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

j.        Can we say that based on 1 Cor. 12:11, the Holy Spirit has a will?

Yes…………………… No …………………………

H)    THE HOLY SPIRIT COULD BE OFFENDED

k.      What does Eph. 4:30 say?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

l.        Can we declare base on Eph. 4:30 that the Holy Spirit has emotions? 

Yes…………………………No …………………………

m.    What are the three things you are not to do against the Holy Spirit according to Matt. 12:31-32

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

n.      According to Acts 5:3 what did Ananias and his wife, do and against who?

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

o.      What was the result of their actions against the Holy Spirit?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

p.      What did the Jewish leaders do according to Acts 7:51-53?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Conclusion
From the discussions above, it is obvious to agree with the Bible that the Holy Spirit is a person who possesses all the unique characteristics such as a ability to speak, think, guide etc. He cannot be a force, energy or an object as some suggest.

Having gone through this lesson, kindly meditate over how your personal relationship with the Holy Spirit is. How does He feel towards you? What has He done, and is doing, for you in God's scheme of redemption? And how does He react to your reception or rejection of the Word He has revealed? How can you put into practice what you learned?

Would you encounter any obstacles incorporating these principles into your life? If yes, how could you overcome them with the help of the Lord and your discipler?

 

2014 NOVEMBER WEEK THREE LESSON

LESSON TEN (10) 

THE CHURCH OF PENTECOST IN FOCUS

(RULES OF CONDUCTS AND CORE VALUES)

 

RULES OF CONDUCT FOR THE CHURCH OF PENTECOST

(AS IN THE MINISTERS MANUAL, 2001)

The Church is the household of God, redeemed and sanctified by the blood of Jesus Christ. Thus the Church is not a mere social institution but a family of saints being trained and equipped until we all attain unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

The following guidelines are therefore intended to help you walk worthy of your calling as a child of God: -

1. Set aside some period daily for personal quiet time in prayer and meditation on the Word (Matthew 6:6, Ephesians 6:18 – 20).
2.  Always endeavour to adequately prepare yourself through prayer and meditation before coming to the house of God (Hebrews 4:15 -16).
3. Be in your seat in good time before the commencement of the service, and participate fully in every aspect of the worship service.
4. Endeavour, by word and deed to bring up your children in the fear of the LORD, and bring them with you to the house of God. Supervise and monitor the active participation of your children in the Sunday School and Youth Ministry, as the case may be. Do not neglect the spiritual well-being of other relatives and house-helps under your care; they also need salvation (Genesis 18:19; Joshua 24:15, 2 Timothy 1:5, 6, Proverbs 22:6, Deuteronomy 6:4 – 7).
5. Make the Pastor your personal friend. He needs your sympathy, support and counsel even as you need his. Constantly pray for him (Hebrews 13:17 – 18, Romans 15:30 – 32, Malachi 2:7).
6. Make the Church your spiritual home. Love the brethren with brotherly affection and, if you are able, contribute to the needs of the saints (Philemon verse 7, Acts 2:46).
7. During casual conversation at home or at work, do not speak disrespectfully or disparagingly about the church and God’s servants. Make your concerns and grievances known to the appropriate authority for explanation or redress (3 John 9 – 10, Numbers 12:1, 2).
8. Endeavour to study the Bible diligently on your own and take it with you any time you go to the house of God (2 Timothy 2:15, Acts 17:11, Joshua 1:8, Ezra 7:10).
9. Enter reverently; pray fervently; listen attentively; give praise from a grateful heart, and worship God in the beauty of Holiness (Psalm 118:27 – 29, Ecclesiastes 5:1, Romans 7:12, James 1:19). “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise; be thankful unto Him and bless His name” (Psalm 100:4).
10. Marital fidelity and chastity before marriage are the hallmarks of a true Christian and are, therefore, strongly urged upon every child of God. Pre-marital and extra-marital relationships have no place in the church of God; members found in such relationships will be punished by suspension and/or withdrawal from fellowship (1 Corinthians 7:2, Hebrews 13:4)
11. In your business, endeavour to make all your dealings and transactions Bible-based, honest and transparent (Proverbs 16:8; 22:16, Jeremiah 17:11; 22:13, Proverbs 21:16).

A true child of God may not deal in items known to be detrimental to the spiritual, mental and physical health of others, e.g. alcohol, cigarettes and narcotic drugs.

 

THE CORE VALUES OF THE CHURCH OF PENTECOST

1.      Preaching the Gospel – Placing emphasis on the "Foursquare Gospel" which is Jesus Christ our Savior, Jesus Christ our baptizer in the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ our Healer and Jesus Christ our soon coming King, through rallies, crusades, conventions, media evangelism, personal evangelism, etc.  (Mk. 16:15-16; Mt. 28:19-20)

2.      Church Planting – Placing emphasis on planting a  local church for every community (Romans. 15:18-19)

3.      Discipleship - Equipping the saints to Christ-like maturity  (Eph. 4:11-13)

4.      Prayers – Worship,  intercession/supplication, spiritual warfare resulting in miracles, signs and wonders and answer to prayers (Acts 2:42-46; 4:23-31; 13:1-3)

5.      Gifts and Operations of the Holy Spirit (Mk. 16:15; Acts 1:8; 2:1-4; 19:16;1Co.12:1-11)-see Tenets

6.      Sacrificial Giving-(Mal. 3:6-13; 1Co. 116:1-2; 2Co. 9:1-9-consult Tenets)

7.      Fellowship – attending  church services, Home Cells meetings, tarry and other prayer programmes, Ministry meetings, Communion services, Conventions, meeting needs of the saints and of one another (Acts 2:44; 47; Gal. 6:2; 1Jn. 1:3)

8.      Church Discipline – In our efforts to maintain personal and corporate holiness, various, disciplinary measures are taken. Some disciplinary measures include; public rebuke, suspension, revoking of the Office of Elder, Deacon and Deaconess by the appointing authority and in extreme cases excommunication from the Church by the Executive Council on the recommendation of the Area Head and the Area Executive Committee(Hebrews. 12:14-17; 1 Tim. 5:19-21).

9.      Social Services–helping to meet some social needs through Schools, hospitals, and other social interventions- Mt. 25:31-46

10.  Respect for Authority - 1Th. 5:12-13