Faith Under Pressure

In one paragraph

Brian opened Easter Sunday by reading the resurrection account from John 20, then turned to Acts 1:1-11, a passage the congregation had worked through the week before. The focus this time was on verse eight, and specifically on what it means to be a witness empowered by the Holy Spirit. The conversation started with a question from the congregation about what the disciples would have understood...

Read together

1. John 20:1-16 Mary Magdalene at the empty tomb, read aloud by the pastor as an opening reflection before the main sermon
2. Acts 1:1-11 read aloud by a congregation member named Amanda as the main passage, repeated from the previous week
3. Acts 1:8 the focal verse for the sermon, on receiving power from the Holy Spirit and being witnesses to the ends of the earth
4. 1 Corinthians 2:10-14 quoted to show the Holy Spirit searches out and reveals God's deep secrets to believers
5. John 14:26 Jesus promises the Holy Spirit as advocate who will teach everything and remind believers of what Jesus said
6. Ephesians 1:17-18 Paul's prayer that hearts would be flooded with light through spiritual wisdom and insight from the Holy Spirit

Talk about it

1. Brian asked what the disciples might have thought when Jesus mentioned the Holy Spirit, given that Acts chapter two had not happened yet. What frame of reference do you think they were working from, and how does knowing the whole story change the way you read a passage?
2. Brian described the Holy Spirit's role in the Old Testament as working from the outside in, and in the New Testament as taking up residence on the inside. What difference, if any, has that made in your own experience of reading scripture or praying?
3. Brian said the Holy Spirit's favorite topic is Jesus, and that cultivating a relationship with the Holy Spirit is the key to getting to know Jesus. What does cultivating that relationship actually look like day to day for you?
4. The Greek word for witness is martyr, someone who cannot deny what they have personally encountered. Brian asked whether you have experienced Jesus to such an extent that you could not deny him under pressure. What has that pressure looked like in your own life, even if it is nothing like a Roman arena?
5. Brian closed by saying the Spirit does not make you bold, he just makes Jesus undeniable in your life. How does that framing sit with you, and does it change the way you think about sharing your faith?