God will pour out His Spirit (Part 1) / Acts Bible Study Summary

David Hathaway

In this episode, David is summarising all the key points from his recent bible study series from the book of Acts.

The Church began in the Acts of the Apostles with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. It’s the story of the birth of the Church, how it was formed, how it developed – and I believe it’s how the Church should be today. I believe we should live as they lived in the Acts of the Apostles, in the same Power of the Holy Spirit – it’s the Power behind my ministry of evangelism. In Joel 2 the prophet speaks of the first rain and the last rain. I believe, and many would agree, this refers to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost when the church began, and now in these last days before Christ returns.

Acts begins in the period after the Resurrection, before His Ascension into Heaven, when Jesus was still appearing to His disciples. He tells them, wait in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit comes. Acts 1:8. Why? Because everything changed when the Holy Spirit came on the disciples at Pentecost! Look at Peter, after Jesus was arrested, when just a servant girl approached him – he was so afraid, he vehemently denied he knew Jesus. After Christ’s crucifixion, even after the Resurrection, there was a panic, what to do now? Peter’s idea was ‘let’s go fishing’! Yet when he received the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, it was Peter who was the first to leap up onto the roof of the building and preach Christ! Three thousand repented and were baptised! The Power Peter now had was in the Holy Spirit!