Lesson
8
The
Birth of the Church
I. The Birth of
the Church
A. The Promise of
the Holy Ghost
Just prior to His
ascension, Jesus told His disciples not to begin their ministry yet but to wait
in the city of Jerusalem, until they were indued with power from on high.
Without the baptism of the Holy Ghost, the Great Commission would have been a
hopeless task to fulfill. The preaching of the gospel was to be done, in the
power and the inspiration of the Spirit. In Acts 1:8 Jesus promised the
disciples power. The Holy Ghost was the power that would extend the influence
of the disciples' ministry to the uttermost parts of the earth. It was to begin
at Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost.
B. The Upper Room
There were about one
hundred and twenty of Jesus' disciples who gathered in the upper room in
Jerusalem. Among them were Mary the mother of Jesus (Acts 1:14), His brothers,
and the twelve apostles. For approximately seven to ten days they remained
there in constant prayer and supplication. Then the Jewish feast day of
Pentecost arrived. The disciples were all with one accord in their
worship and prayer. Acts 2:1-4 records the details of this first glorious outpouring of the Holy Ghost.
The place where they were sitting was overwhelmed by the sound of a rushing
mighty wind that came from heaven.
Acts 2:3 records
another supernatural event immediately following the wind. Cloven tongues like
flames of fire appeared and sat upon each of them. Of the many
wonderful things that were taking place in the upper room, the greatest miracle
was the one recorded in verse four. They were all filled with the Holy Ghost
and began to speak with other tongues (languages) as the Spirit gave them
utterance. When they were all filled with the Spirit, the initial sign of the
Baptism of the Holy Ghost was given. The disciples began to speak with other
tongues, and glorify God in languages they had never learned.