Here is one more object lesson that will help make your teaching about the Holy Spirit come alive.
Object Lesson: This Gift is For You
Prop: Giant dictionary
Slides: Joel 2:28, word definitions
Note: While any dictionary will work for this object lesson, I use the Webster’s New Universal Unabridged Dictionary. This dictionary is huge! It is about 4 inches thick and contains over 2100 pages of words and definitions. It makes for a great prop to show the enormity of our English language. Perhaps your local public or school library will allow you to borrow a comparable dictionary.
For those coming into our nation and having to learn to communicate in a new language, our English language can be quite difficult to learn and master. One of the difficulties comes from the fact that many of our words have multiple meanings. The person learning our language might hear a word used in a sentence and have a full understanding of one of its meanings and yet not understand how that word fits into the subject of the conversation. For example, consider the word “trunk”. From this massive dictionary (show dictionary), we find that there are ten different definitions, all talking about different things. The definitions include: (Show slide … revealing one definition at a time.)
* The main woody axis of a tree.
* A proboscis, especially the long prehensile proboscis of an elephant.
* A covering over the hatches of a ship.
* A covered compartment for luggage and storage, generally at the rear of an automobile.
* A large packing case or box that clasps shut, used as luggage or for storage.
Can you see how difficult that this can be? They might be hearing the word “trunk” and think that the speaker is talking about a long nose on an elephant when in all actuality the speaker is referring to the part of a car that stores luggage.
Here is the reason for today’s object lesson. God was so careful to insure that you know that He loves you so much that He has a special gift for you. In sending His precious Holy Spirit, He wanted to make sure that you know and understand that you are to be included with those receiving this gift. God said in Joel 2:28: (Show slide)
“I will pour out my Spirit upon all people …”
Joel 2:28 (New Living Translation)
Did you notice the word “all”? Let’s look in this dictionary one more time to make sure that there is no room for confusion. Here is the definition for the word “all”:
* Being or representing the entire or total number, amount, or quantity.
* Every.
It is just that simple. The word “all” doesn’t mean just a few or one or two here and there. All means ALL. In looking at our Bible verse again (show slide), how many people did God say that He would pour His Spirit upon? It’s so simple. A-L-L people. No one is left out. In fact, the Bible even makes double sure that you know that you are included when we discover that a little further in this verse and then later in Acts 2:17 and Acts 2:39 God specifically says that this “all” includes children.
Let’s not make this difficult or complicated. There aren’t ten different definitions for the word “all”. It is impossible to not know God’s desire. His gift of the Holy Spirit is for Y-O-U!
