LESSON 8 - THE PROMISE OF RAIN

INTRODUCTION: GOOD TO BE BACK WITH YOU AGAIN. I APPRECIATE DAN, ED, FRANK AND GREG TEACHING FOR ME. VACATION IS GOOD FOR MY SOUL. NOT ONLY DOES IT GIVE ME A BREAK FROM MY NORMAL ROUTINE, BUT BECAUSE WE HAVE A VERY OLD MOTORHOME, IT TEACHES ME LESSONS ABOUT HUMILITY. LETS GET INTO OUR LESSON: THE PROMISE OF RAIN!

I. THE EMISSARY

A. ASSUME, FOR JUST A FEW MOMENTS, THAT I AM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. LETS SAY THAT THE CHINESE MILITARY HAVE BEEN DETONATING NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND THE CHINESE LEADERSHIP DOES NOT KNOW ABOUT IT. WE HAVE LEARNED THAT THE MILITARY IN CHINA IS ABOUT TO OVERTHROW THE CURRENT LEADERSHIP. THE CURRENT LEADERS ARE NOT VERY FRIENDLY TO US, BUT THE MILITARY LEADERS ARE WORSE. I HAVE DECIDED TO SEND YOU --JUST AS YOU ARE NOW-- AS MY PERSONAL ENVOY TO WARN THE CHINESE LEADERS OF THIS REVOLT. WHAT DO YOU NEED? (INSTRUCTIONS, AUTHORITY, MONEY, EVIDENCE TO SHOW THIS IS TRUE)

II. JESUS SENDS HIS DISCIPLES

A. TURN WITH ME TO JOHN 20:19-23. LET ME SET THE BACKGROUND BEFORE I READ TO YOU. JESUS HAS BEEN CRUCIFIED. THE DISCIPLES HAVE HEARD FROM MARY AN UNCONFIRMED REPORT THAT SHE HAS SEEN JESUS ALIVE. THEY ARE TOGETHER, PROBABLY IN THE UPPER ROOM, AND THEY ARE AFRAID THAT THE JEWS ARE GOING TO COME AND GET THEM NEXT. read

1. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE FEELINGS OF THE DISCIPLES?

2. HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF YOU WERE THERE? (TERROR AND UNCERTAINTY, TURN TO JOY.)

B. AFTER JESUS GETS THE DISCIPLES CALMED DOWN, HE GIVES THEM THREE INSTRUCTIONS IN THESE VERSES, WHAT ARE THEY?

1. I AM SENDING YOU OUT!

2. RECIEVE THE HOLY SPIRIT

3. IF YOU FORGIVE SINS, ARE FORGIVEN, IF NOT, ARE NOT.

C. JESUS IS SENDING THE DISCIPLES OUT, JUST AS I WAS SENDING YOU A FEW MINUTES AGO.

1. BEFORE WE GET INTO A DETAILED DISCUSSION OF THIS, DO YOU THINK THAT WHAT JESUS SAID TO THE DISCPLES APPLIES TO YOU/US TODAY?

2. IF SO, LETS DISCUSS THE DETAILS OF WHAT JESUS TOLD THEM:

3. WHAT DOES THE FACT THAT JESUS TOLD HIS DISCIPLES TO GO OUT, TELL YOU ABOUT GOD'S METHODS FOR SHARING THE GOSPEL? (THAT HE NEEDS MEN AND WOMEN TO BE PARTNERS WITH HIM)

4. WHAT IS THE REASON FOR GIVING THEM THE HS? (IT IS JUST LIKE IN OUR STORY, IT IS THE POWER, AUTHORITY, THE MEANS, TO DO WHAT THEY ARE BEEN CHARGED WITH DOING.)

D. NOW VERSE 23 IS AN UNUSUAL VERSE. DO MEN HAVE THE POWER TO FORGIVE SINS? CAN YOU CAUSE ME TO BE LOST BY NOT AGREEING TO FORGIVE MY SIN?

E. IF NOT, WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT JESUS IS SPEAKING OF? (JESUS HAS JUST TOLD HIS DISCIPLES TO GO OUT AND BE HIS EMISSARIES. IF THEY DO IT, THEN PEOPLE WILL LEARN THAT THEIR SINS CAN BE FORGIVEN. IF THEY DO NOT, THEN PEOPLE WILL NOT LEARN THAT.

1. WHAT KIND OF RESPONSIBILITY DOES THAT PLACE ON OUR SHOULDERS?

F. TURN WITH ME NOW TO ACTS. LETS READ 1:1-2 AND 2:1-4. JOHN 20 TELLS US THAT JESUS BREATHED THE HS INTO THE DISCIPLES. AND ACTS 1 CONFIRMS THAT THE HS WORKED WITH JESUS IN GIVING THE DISCIPLES THEIR FINAL INSTRUCTIONS.

1. BUT WHY IS IT THAT WHEN JESUS BREATHED ON THEM WE DIDN'T SEE THE TONGUES OF FIRE LIKE WE SEE IN ACTS 2? (THE ANSWER IS FOUND IN AGRICULTURE!)

III. THE RAIN

A. TURN TO THE FIRST TWO CHPTS OF JOEL. IN JOEL 1 GOD WARNS HIS PEOPLE ABOUT COMING DESTRUCTION THROUGH A PLAGUE OF LOCUSTS. IN CHPT 2 HE TALKS ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF CHANGING HIS MIND IF THE PEOPLE RETURN TO HIM BY RENDING THEIR HEARTS. OR RETURNING TO THEM AFTER THE UP COMING DESTRUCTION. READ JOEL 2:23-25.

1. DO YOU SEE A PARALLEL BETWEEN THE AUTUMN AND SPRING RAINS AND THE WORK OF THE HS?

B. LETS CHART SOME OF THESE PARALLELS. (LIST RAIN AND HS) TELL ME WHAT CHARACTERISTICS YOU SEE IN BOTH OF THEM. (FOR EXAMPLE, GROW TO MATURITY, POWER, NEW LIFE, REVIVE, ETC.)

1. WHEN IT DOESN'T RAIN, WHAT DO PEOPLE DO?

2. SAME WITH THE HS?

C. WITH THE RAIN:

1. IF YOU WERE IN CHARGE OF SENDING THE RAIN, WHAT FACTORS WOULD YOU CONSIDER?

2. WHAT WERE THE FACTORS THAT GOD TOOK INTO ACCOUNT? (GOD DETERMINED WHEN THE RAIN CAME BASED UPON THE ATTITUDE OF HIS PEOPLE AND THE NECESSARY TIMING FOR THE CROPS.)

3. DO YOU THINK THAT THOSE TWO FACTORS APPLY TO SENDING THE HS AS WELL?

a. DOES THE HS COME IN GREATER OR LESSER MEASURE DEPENDING UPON OUR ATTITUDE AND GOD'S TIMING? (FOR EXAMPLE, ALTHOUGH JESUS BREATHED THE HS ON THEM IN JOHN 20, IT WAS NOT UNTIL ACTS 2, PENTECOST, THAT THE HS CAME IN POWER.)

D. READ JOEL 2: 28-29. DOES GOD DRAW A PARALLEL OF SORTS BETWEEN THE RAIN AND THE HOLY SPIRIT? (YES, HE TALKS OF "POURING" THE HS "ON" US JUST AFTER SPEAKING OF SENDING RAIN.)

E. DO YOU SEE ANY PARALLES BETWEEN THE DISCIPLES' SITUATION AND OUR SITUATION TODAY?

IV. NEXT WEEK: WE WILL MOVE ON WITH THIS DISCUSSION AND LOOK AT "THE FORMER RAIN" (PENTECOST)