Week 6 Sermon Questions For Groups

Life On Mission: Engage

Introduction:

The Holy Spirit is a beautiful and powerful part of who God is. We need Him in our life as a conduit to become who God created us to be, and through His power we have aid in all situations. Without Him, we are powerless.

Bottom-line: You have to be with Him before you can do for Him.

Something To Talk About:

The uniqueness of the Holy Spirit is His presence within us. Jesus said before He ascended to heaven that the Holy Spirit would come and dwell within us as a believer. With that, He empowers us to live on mission for God.

The Holy Spirit gives us the power to do the impossible: When you look at being on mission with God, you will inevitably come to the conclusion that your own human abilities, your character traits and your best intentions can only help so much, regardless of how “good” they are. Just consider someone like King David. He was described as a man after God’s own heart, and even he couldn’t manage a life of complete victory over sin. David was a good, good man; we’re not talking about just anybody. In Psalm 51 we read that he sorrowed over his sin and repented from it, but he didn’t have the power necessary to overcome it. Like David, we are simply not capable of completely overcoming these destructive tendencies and desires on our own strength. We need help. When Jesus was on earth, He promised that after His departure, He would send the Helper, The Holy Spirit. He also said, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere-in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8.) And that is the primary purpose of the Holy Spirit: to give us power and help to live a Christlike life, something that is impossible on our own.
The Holy Spirit gives the power to know and recall the truth: There is nobody who knows everything, right from the start. But, the Holy Spirit does. So the Holy Spirit can be a guide for you. He is called the Spirit of Truth, The Helper, and the Teacher, and He can train you in righteousness and give you all the power you need to know and recall the truth. If you have the Holy Spirit, He can actually make things very clear for you. It’s not something mystical, where you sit and meditate and hear this “mystical voice” telling you what to do. But, the Spirit will guide you in the right direction. And you can learn to hear His voice. By being obedient to God’s Word and what He works in your heart, you can tune your ear, so that you can hear more and more clearly. The Spirit can guide you through all things.

Discussion Questions:

Acts 2:1-8 is an incredibly dramatic scene that must have been both exhilarating and terrifying for those present. What do you think it would have felt like to be one of the disciples in this scene?
What has been your exposure and experience to a relationship with the Holy Spirit?
Read Acts 2:1-8: What words, phrases, images, or descriptions about Pentecost raise questions for you, encourage you, or confuse you?
Why is it impossible to be on mission for God without the help of the Holy Spirit?
How does the Holy Spirit give us the power to know and recall the truth?
Why do you think so many Christians live as though they are devoid of the Spirit’s power?
The Spirit’s power doesn’t always manifest itself in wild and sensational ways. Sometimes it’s subtle and simple. When (and where) have you seen evidence of the Spirit’s power in your life? In what area(s) of your life do you wish you had more of the Spirit’s power?
How do you know when the Spirit is leading or convicting you to respond to God’s work in your life?
What do you think the Holy Spirit may be saying to you through this sermon and our discussion?
Beyond prayer for each other, is there a way we can help each other apply what God is showing us?
What are your expectations for this week as a result of Sunday’s message?

Take one thing home with you:

It doesn’t matter how good your intentions are; it’s impossible to come to the life the Scriptures speak about on your own. You can have a good desire. You can have the best desire in the world. But you are limited, really. There are limits to what you can manage on your own.

You can gain a sense of what is right and wrong, according to your upbringing or surroundings. Your conscience can help you to a certain point. And you can manage a good bit of self-control over what people see, or that which is outward. But we cannot live our lives on mission with God without the help of the Holy Spirit.