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My Utmost for His Highest

L11 – The Disciples Filled with the Holy Spirit

Acts 1:8

[8] but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."

Please Note: Please read the Book of Acts as a prerequisite for Lessons 9 trough 14.

Acts 2:4

[4] And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.

Just as Jesus said, the Holy Spirit, the Promise of the Father, came! We saw Him come upon Jesus in the form of a dove, but this time He came in the form of "tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them". ( Act_2:3 ) As this was happening, "suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting." ( Act_2:2 ) What an entrance! As soon as the "tongues of fire" touched each of the disciples, "they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance." ( Act_2:4 ) Who would have imagined such an entrance, but that is just how it happened!

We must ask the question, "Why, when the Holy Spirit filled the disciples, did He manifest Himself by speaking through them in foreign tongues, true languages, yet not known to the disciples?" The only indication we have from the old testament is a verse we used last lesson ( Isa_28:11-12 ). Paul interpreted this for us in his reference to it in ( 1Co_14:21-22 ). Understand it or not, that's how He did it!

The disciples were all filled with His presence and were under His control. In the moments that ensued we see how the Holy Spirit got the attention of those in the surrounding area. ( Act_2:5-6 ) They were "amazed and astonished" that the disciples, who were all Galileans, were speaking in their own native languages. It happened that there were Jews from many other parts of the world there for the feast and they each heard the disciples speaking to them in their native tongue, "speaking of the mighty deeds of God" ( Act_2:7-11 )

Surprised by what was taking place "in amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" ( Act_2:12 ) There was no precedent for this. God had never done anything like this before!

As was often the case then, and even the case nowadays, when God chooses to control His people like He did then, there were some skeptics who tried to explain away what God was doing by saying, "They are full of sweet wine." ( Act_2:13 ) God doesn't always do things that "fit" into our idea of right and proper. This manifestation God was performing was certainly not "fitting" in with their idea of how God works. This dis-belief and scorn took place then, and has taken place many times over the centuries as God, the Holy Spirit, has manifested His control and influence in His children. ( For further reading See "A Handbook on the Holy Spirit", Chapter 1, pages 13-20 )

Peter, who just recently had denied the Lord ( Luk_22:54-62 ) , and gave up and went back to fishing ( Joh_21:3 ) , got up and preached the very first sermon of the newly born Church of Jesus Christ. Jesus told the disciples before He left that when they are put on the spot, not to take thought regarding what they are to speak, " for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say. For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you." ( Mat_10:19-20 ) Peter, just prior to this sermon, had been, under the control of the Holy Spirit, speaking in languages that he did not understand. He continued to yield himself to the Holy Spirit and addressed the people in his own language under the control of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, "you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." ( Act_1:8 ) Peter, a man like any other, was being used by the Holy Spirit to give witness concerning Jesus Christ and His will for all men. ( Act_2:13-36 ) What a miraculous change in Peter! What power, authority, confidence, wisdom! All, the Holy Spirit at work in him.

The rulers put Jesus to death to extinguish His light and influence, but instead of doing that they gave Him the power to be the light in every believer! They unwittingly spread His light and influence instead of putting it out!

We are seeing what the Holy Spirit was doing in Peter, but He had just filled the 120 disciples! They all could now be channels of His Power and Grace!

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Next Lesson: L12 – This Promise is for All God's Children