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July 14, 2013

WELCOME!
WE'RE GLAD YOU'RE HERE

We are a group of believers who simply try to follow the Bible as a guide for all we do. Everything done in our worship service is something for which we have a Bible basis. You are welcome to participate as much or as little as you wish. We will sing hymns together and we will observe the Lord's Supper or Communion together. We will also have an opportunity to give to the work of God in this area. This collection is for the members here, and if you are visiting you should not feel and pressure to give. Our lesson time will be divided into two groups. The young children will go to our classroom area in the basement where they will be taught the Bible at a level they can understand. The adults will stay in the auditorium for a lesson at an adult level. We do try to serve the community, and if you have some needs that we can help you with, mention it to one of the members. Thank you for worshipping with us.

FAMILY NEWS

THANKS FOR HIGHWAY CLEAN UP: One of our projects to serve the community is to clean up the highway in front of our building — two miles of road. A number of us met yesterday and worked on this project. Thanks to Richard Hoyt for setting everything up, and to all of you who participated in the clean up.

TUESDAY NIGHT BIBLE STUDY AT CLAYTON'S: For over 30 years we have had a monthly Bible study every third Tuesday. This study is being held at Clayton's and you are invited to come. Just bring your Bible and come to 1555 Echo Valley Drive in Niles at 7:00 PM.

TWO WEEKS TO THE FAIR: Two weeks from today we will be setting up our booth at the Cass County Fair. The balloons, magnets, emery boards, etc., are here and the banners have been given final approval. The handout sheets, and exhibit boards are under construction. In the lobby on a clip board are sign-up sheets to work the booth. Please sign up for as many shifts as you can. Remember that you are just there to greet people and give them free materials — not to debate theology.

TODAY'S LESSON

THE HOLY SPIRIT — GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT AND INDWELLING OF THE SPIRIT

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I. INTRODUCTION
A. Great confusion in the religious world
B. Acts 8:5 – 28 — Philip, a great evangelist
C. Simon becomes a Christian, but has a long way to go.
1. Verses 14 – 15 — Apostles sent down for a reason
2. We sent for by Philip — The Holy Ghost was needed
3. Verse 18 — Simon sees apostles had to lay hands on someone for the Holy Ghost
to “fall on them.”
II. THE HOLY GHOST OR SPIRIT (Pneuma in Greek for both)
A. Genesis 1 — “Elohim” is used and is plural
1. God — intellect, intelligence, power
2. Christ — personality — Colossians 1:16
3. Holy Spirit — the action part of God
4. "Godhead" (theios) is used to describe these three.
a. Acts 17:29; Romans 1:20; Colossians 2:9; Matthew 10:28
5. Analogy — car, gasoline, driver
B. Genesis 1:26 — This is how we are in God's image.
C. When Jesus died he left an active guide.
1. John 14:13-18 and John 15:26 – 27; John 16:7
2. 1 Corinthians 13:10; Revelation 21:1; and 2 Peter 3:11 – 13
D. The early Church evolved through the Holy Spirit.
1. Acts 2:4 — Spirit comes upon the Apostles.
a. They were not robots. Peter sinned — Galatians 2:11.
2. Special gifts were passed on by the apostles.
a. Con artists were out there.
b. Credibility was an issue.
c. Preachers like Philip had gifts, but could not pass them on.
3. 1 Timothy 4:14
III. SPIRITUAL GIFTS WERE AND ARE NEEDED.
A. 1 Corinthians 12:5 – 13 — Followed by chapter on love
B. This is not what Simon was after.
IV. ALL MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH ARE PROMISED THE INDWELLING OF THE SPIRIT.
A. Acts 2:38 – 39
B. God helps understanding, cleanses us continuously, answers prayers in special ways.
C. Romans 8:26; 1 Corinthians 2:13 – 16; 1 John 5
V. DO YOU HAVE THE PROMISE OF ACTS 2:38 – 39 ?


THE BACK PAGE

BELLS AND WHISTLES

Our lesson this morning is on the Holy Spirit. It has been months since we had an in-depth investigation of this subject, and it is a subject we need to review, because people use the concept of the Holy Spirit for all kinds of wrong reasons. In some circles having some outward manifestation of the Holy Spirit being in you is a requirement for acceptance. In other groups such a manifestation is a mark of esteem making the having of a spiritual gift a competitive thing.

First Corinthians 11 – 13 is a very sad picture of a congregation with deep problems. In 1 Corinthians 11:18 we learn there were divisions when the church came together and some ate while hungry brothers watched. Some even drank alcoholic beverages and became drunk. The Lord's supper was not observed as a memorial but in an unworthy manner (chapter 11:27 – 30). Chapter 12:23 – 27 tells us that people were holding up their gifts as superior to other Christians, and the whole thirteenth chapter finds Paul telling the church in Corinth that their service to God was worthless if love did not dominate what they did. He tells them in verses 8 – 10 that all of these gifts would eventually be done away with and that love is the only great thing we have (verse 13).

The Corinthian congregation had become obsessed with the unusual. Gifts that were flashy and drew attention were being used as clubs to minimize the works of others. Chapter 14 tells us that the worship service was chaos and Paul calls the church to do things “decently and in order” (verse 40). In today's world the same thing is going on. Religious activity is evaluated on how flashy it is, and what new and different thing is involved. Megachurches struggle to outdo each other in their services, their projects, and their role in the community. People want God's Spirit to be a part of the bells and whistles they use to claim their superiority over other groups. God calls us to use our gifts to lift up the body and to bring the lost to him. That is usually done in quiet service, not in flashy showmanship.

— John Clayton