Notes from "Celebrate the Harvest of the Spirit at Pentecost"

Holy Spirit Works at Harvest Feast of Pentecost

    ▾    Background  on Other HS Ministries

    •    Creation

    •    Sustaining the World

    •    Creativity in Bazaleal and Oholiab

    •    Administration for 70 elders

    •    Battle success (Joshua, Jephthah, Ehud, Gideon, Samson, et al

    •    Prophecy (even with Balaam and Saul)

    •    Paraclete/Comforter

    ▾    Joy in Holy Spirit

    •    Romans 14:7 For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone.

    •    Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

    •    1 Thessalonians 1:6  You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.

    ▾    General Harvesting of HS

    •    1 Corinthians 12:13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

    •    Background on Harvest of Feast of First Fruits (Leviticus 23)

    •    How the HS harvests today (introduction)

    ▾    First Fruit references in NT

    •    Rom 8:23, Rev 14:4, plus Jeremiah 2:3

    •    James 1:18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

    ▾    Feast of Weeks

    •    Numbers 28:26–30 (NIV)

26 “ ‘On the day of firstfruits, when you present to the Lord an offering of new grain during the Festival of Weeks, hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. 27 Present a burnt offering of two young bulls, one ram and seven male lambs a year old as an aroma pleasing to the Lord. 28 With each bull there is to be a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of the finest flour mixed with oil; with the ram, two-tenths; 29 and with each of the seven lambs, one-tenth. 30 Include one male goat to make atonement for you.

    •    Deuteronomy 16:9–12 (NIV)

9 Count off seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain. 10 Then celebrate the Festival of Weeks to the Lord your God by giving a freewill offering in proportion to the blessings the Lord your God has given you. 11 And rejoice before the Lord your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, the Levites in your towns, and the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows living among you. 12 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt, and follow carefully these decrees.

    •    Leviticus 23:15–18 (NIV)

15 “ ‘From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, count off seven full weeks. 16 Count off fifty days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new grain to the Lord. 17 From wherever you live, bring two loaves made of two-tenths of an ephah of the finest flour, baked with yeast, as a wave offering of firstfruits to the Lord. 18 Present with this bread seven male lambs, each a year old and without defect, one young bull and two rams. They will be a burnt offering to the Lord, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings—a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord.

    •    Exodus 23:14–16 (Festival of Harvest)

14 “Three times a year you are to celebrate a festival to me. 15 “Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread; for seven days eat bread made without yeast, as I commanded you. Do this at the appointed time in the month of Aviv, for in that month you came out of Egypt. “No one is to appear before me empty-handed. 16 “Celebrate the Festival of Harvest with the firstfruits of the crops you sow in your field. “Celebrate the Festival of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in your crops from the field.

    •    Exodus 34:22 (NIV)

22 “Celebrate the Festival of Weeks with the firstfruits of the wheat harvest, and the Festival of Ingathering at the turn of the year.

    •    Acts 20:16 + Acts 22:16!

    ▾    Miraculous Attestation of HS/HE GETS OUR ATTENTION

    ▾    Acts 2 to gather the harvest

    •    Confirming the Gospel via miracles

    •    Understanding the Gospel via tongues

    •    1 Corinthians 2:13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.

    •    2 Peter 1:21 For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

    •    Romans 15:19 by the power of signs and wonders, through the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.

    •    Acts 16:6–10 Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7 When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. 8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. 9 During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

    •    Acts 13:2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

    •    Acts 8:29  The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”

    •    Acts 10:19–20 While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three men are looking for you. So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.”

    ▾    OT Considerations

    •    Ps 51.11 Take not they Holy Spirit from me. via David in OT

    •    Num 22-24 Spirit is upon Balaam, 1Sam 10:12 and 1Sam 19 Is Saul really among the prophets?

    •    Samson Judges 13, Moses Num 11:17 and then the 70, Bazaleel Exo 31:2-5, Joshua in military strategy and ability.

    •    John the Baptist “filled” Luke 1:15 (but we are greater Matt 11.11)

    •    Elizabeth, JTB’s mom, filled Luke 1:41

    •    Zacharia Luke 1:67 filled plus Simeon Luke 2:25

    •    Disciples preach and exorcise demons by the HS, yet John 20:22 “Receive the Holy Spirit”

    •    John 7:38–39 (NIV) Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.

    •    Hebrews 11:39–40  These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, 40 since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

    ▾    Convicting/Exposing of HS/ HE CUTS US DEEP

    •    “What must I do to be saved?” Acts 2:38

    •    John 16:7–8 But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment:

    •    1 Corinthians 14:25 as the secrets of their hearts are laid bare. So they will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you!”

    •    John 3:19–21 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

    •    Acts 7:51 “You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit!

    ▾    Regeneration of HS/ HE MAKES US NEW

    •    Acts 2:38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

    •    John 3:5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.

    •    Titus 3:5–6 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior,

    •    Romans 15:16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. He gave me the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

    •    1 Corinthians 6:10–11 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

    •    2 Thessalonians 2:13  But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.

    •    Romans 15:16  to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. He gave me the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

    •    John 14:17 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.

    •    Ephesians 1:13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,

    •    2 Corinthians 1:22 set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

    ▾    Empowering/Sanctifying of HS/ HE MAKES US GREAT

    •    Fruits of the Spirit

    ▾    Power of the Spirit

    •    Acts 20:28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.

    •    Romans 8:26  In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.

    •    John 14:26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

    •    Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

    •    Luke 12:12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.”

    •    Ephesians 1:17  I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

    ▾    Sanctifying of the Spirit

    •    1 Corinthians 6:19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;

    •    1 Thessalonians 5:13 Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.

    •    Ephesians 5:26–27 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,  and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

    •    1 Thessalonians 5:23  May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

    ▾    HOW TO BE EMPOWERED BY THE HS

    •    Don’t get drunk on wine but be filled with Spirit

    •    Be willing to lose control

    •    The impediment of the Flesh (inhibitions)

    •    Ephesians 5:18–21 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

    •    Galatians 3:3 Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?

    ▾    Do not grieve the HS

    •    Ephesians 4:29–32 (NIV)  Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.  And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

    •    1 Thessalonians 5:16–19 Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit.

    •    Do not put out the Spirit’s fire

    •    Fan into flame the HS

    •    Avoid pitfall: Another reason for Guilt!

    •    Galatians 6:7–9 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.