Call to worship:
21 Remember these things, O Jacob,
and Israel, for you are my servant;
I formed you; you are my servant;
O Israel, you will not be forgotten by me.
22 I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud
and your sins like mist;
return to me, for I have redeemed you.Isaiah 44:21-22
Gathering Video
Questions for reflection:
What happens in Ephesus? How does it differ from other locations in Acts?
What is the difference between the baptism of John and the Spirit? How does an understanding of the old and new covenant help us discern the difference?
How does the Spirit work in both the ordinary and extraordinary means?
Corporate Prayer:
Our Father in heaven,
We thank you for the gift of grace we find through the work of Jesus. We ask for your help to walk in wisdom and give an accurate witness of Your gospel as we go from this place. May Your Spirit guide us through the spiritual battles that we face. We praise You for the victory that belongs to Your people.
In the name of Jesus we pray,
Amen.
Notes//Quotes//Slides:
Acts 19:1-20
Jer 31:31-34
2 Cor 5:17
“As throughout Acts, there is no set pattern. The Spirit came at various times and in various ways. What is consistent is that the Spirit is always a vital part of one’s initial commitment to Christ and a mark of every believer.” J.B. Polhill
The norm of Christian experience, then, is a cluster of four things: repentance, faith in Jesus, water baptism and the gift of the Spirit. Though the perceived order may vary a little, the four belong together and are universal in Christian initiation. The laying on of apostolic hands, however, together with tongue-speaking and prophesying, were special to Ephesus, as to Samaria, in order to demonstrate visibly and publicly that particular groups were incorporated into Christ by the Spirit; the New Testament does not universalize them. John Stott