Year B. 2nd Term. Lesson 7. Pentecost

Scripture: for teacher background:  Acts 2 and Acts 19:1-6; Joel 2:28-32

 Making contact:

See how many languages the children know and get them to say, “This is the day that the Lord has made.”

 Exploration:

The disciples had been through so much.

They had been close to Jesus for 3 years, listened to Him teach, seen amazing miracles, which if all written down wouldn’t fit in all the books in the world.

They had all run away when He was arrested, they saw Him die, then there were rumours that He was alive.

Then they saw Him alive, ate food with Him and then after 40 days they watched Him go up into heaven. 

Now they were waiting in Jerusalem as He had said and they were praying. Ten days later (50 days after Easter) they were gathered together as usual, and praying when something very unusual happened.

There was suddenly a loud noise of a violent wind. It filled the whole building. They looked at each other and each person had tongues of fire on their heads. 

They were all filled with the Holy Spirit –which is the Spirit of Jesus, the Spirit of God – God’s wonderful presence.

They started speaking in different languages of the world and people outside who had heard the commotion could understand what they were saying and there were people from all over the world in Jerusalem for the celebration of the Law and Harvest. 

There were at least 15 different languages being spoken by these simple fishermen from Galilee!

Some people made fun of them and said they were drunk.

Peter then spoke to the crowd. He told them it was only nine in the morning and they weren’t drunk, but what had happened was what the prophet Joel had foretold hundreds of years before. 

He explained to them all about Jesus and how He had died for their sins to be forgiven and if they turned to Him and repented of their sin and believed in Jesus they would be saved and also receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Three thousand people believed that day and were saved and baptized.

Application

Jesus told His disciples when He was about to go to Heaven that He would never leave them. Before He could only be in one place at a time, but when He came back He would be Spirit and not in His body.

Then He could be in every believer, like a fire in his or her hearts. 

The Holy Spirit is around and inside each believer in Jesus Christ. 

We need to pray to be baptized in His Spirit.

John the Baptist said that he baptized with water, but someone greater than he was coming who would baptize with fire and with the Spirit.

Get someone to tell their personal testimony of how they were filled with the Spirit and given new power and joy. 

Some people have a 2^nd experience separate from their conversion. 

 I did. People laid hands on me and prayed that I would receive the Holy Spirit, like those people did in Acts 19. 

I know it was real because I felt God’s power surging through me like electricity and I spoke in tongues. I know too because since then I am much more aware of Jesus close to me each day. I long to serve Him.

Challenge to Mission

 Tell someone who know Jesus but not the Holy Spirit how He baptizes with the Holy Spirit and releases power and gifts that bless and grow the church.

 Consolidation

There is a worksheet with pictures and a short version of the events that day.

Have a birthday cake with candles to celebrate Pentecost. The candles remind us of the flames on top of each head of the disciples.

Or/and

Make cardboard strips for around the children’s heads with a flame out of red cardboard sticking up.

Memory Verse:

“This is what I will do in the last days, God says: I will pour out My Spirit on everyone.” Acts 2:17