Transcript

Pentecost and the coming of the Holy Spirit. Depending on your Christian tradition, this may be a central part of your theology, or it may be something you relegate to the past…it doesn’t happen today. Join us as we look at this important section of the book of Acts.

There are 10 days from ascension to Pentecost

Acts 2 has 3 sections and we will focus on an epic event. The Holy Spirit being poured out.

Don’t forget about the big transition that is happening. Moving from the Old Testament system to a new way. When one of these examples is used and expected to happen everywhere, it feels dangerous. Does anyone say if you don’t hear the wind, you don’t have the Spirit? God will do what pleases Him.

This is a big deal. Don’t forget the Holy Spirit is in the trinity, the Holy Spirit is God. This is a huge event with cosmic ramifications. Yet there is relatively little space given to it, 13 verses. However, the rest of the book is a record of humans growing in this new reality. 

Let’s read Acts 2:1-13

1 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.

² And suddenly a noise like a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 

³ And tongues that looked like fire appeared to them, distributing themselves, and a tongue rested on each one of them. 

⁴ And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with different tongues, as the Spirit was giving them the ability to speak out.

⁵ Now there were Jews residing in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. 

⁶ And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together and they were bewildered, because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language. 

⁷ They were amazed and astonished, saying, “Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 

⁸ And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born? 

⁹ Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 

¹⁰ Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya around Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 

¹¹ Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty deeds of God.” 

¹² And they all continued in amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 

¹³ But others were jeering and saying, “They are full of sweet wine!”

Pentecost, Holy Spirit

• God could have sent the Holy Spirit any day, but this is the day He had ordained.

What is Pentecost? Why Pentecost?

It is taught in Leviticus 23:17–20 and Deuteronomy 16:9–10, 50 days after the Passover, or 7 weeks, hence the name Feast of Weeks. It is very interesting to see how the feasts of the Old Testament hold out precisely with major New Testament events. About half of them were fulfilled in Jesus, what do you think will happen with the other feasts?

Basically, this is a harvest feast. This was one of the three Old Testament feasts that all males were expected to be in Jerusalem. Passover and Feast of Tabernacles were the other two. They were to bring the fruit of their harvest and Deuteronomy 8:8 lists what they could offer. 

There were two days and I understand both are this feast. One is when Christ arose, right after Passover and the other is 49 days later. (50 after Passover) Barley first and wheat second. It’s important to note the two loaves, many say this points to the two groups in the church, Jews and Gentiles.

•  Wind – this is a good illustration of the Spirit. You can’t see Him, but you can feel Him and see Him at work. We know the reality, because The Spirit witnesses with our spirit. Powerful just like God. Jesus used this wind to describe the Spirit in John 3. Greek word is Pneuma or breath, like wind.
• Fire – another good word associated with the Spirit and presence of God. Many times when God shows up it involves fire. Some examples, Moses and the burning bush. The Israelites had the pillar of fire by night, Exodus 19 we have the sound of the trumpet and the Lord descending in fire, Mt. Carmel God shows up, II Chronicles 7 Solomons temple, fire falls, etc. Again, God chooses to use fire for this monumental day.
  • Here the Fire is seen on their heads, individually. This is incredible. It wasn’t one fire for the whole group, but in the group the fire was on each of them. 

• This outpouring was experienced by a relatively small group of people. How could 120 people tell the world? What’s the catch? Tell me a time when God was limited by size? 5 loaves 2 fish, Gideon’s army, David, people worry about size, not God. The next verses show us God was orchestrating and knew exactly what He was up to.
• Here is the first act of God: Jews from “every nation under heaven.” God brought many people to Jerusalem for this.
• Second was the miracle of language. The Galileans were speaking the languages of so many people! There is no way Galileans knew all these languages. What a timely miracle and validation of the work! This is exactly opposite the Tower of Babel. This is an awesome call we are still working toward, all the world into the Kingdom of Christ. It will happen, read the back of the book (Revelations).
• Unique identities. One thing that was pointed out to me was that each people group (John Piper) retain their identity. The people heard the apostles in their own language, they weren’t given the ability to understand Aramaic or Greek but rather they heard their mother tongue.

Let’s talk about the Holy Spirit.

When do we get the Holy Spirit today? Acts 2:38 Conversion, Acts 5:32 obey him, and Luke 11:13 Ask. Are you converted and then baptized with the Holy Spirit? Some accept Jesus then pray for the Spirit. God isn’t limited to one method. In Acts there is variation, and I think to this day it is difficult to put God in a box and say He must do it like this.

How do you know if you have the Holy Spirit? Answers to this question vary a lot. Some say you must speak in tongues, others say something else. Look at the end of I Cor. 12, what is the answer to these questions?

The only certain sign of the Holy Spirit is the fruit. Galatians 5:22

Here is one explanation I’ve heard, liked and used, what do you think? The sign that you have the Holy Spirit is a Holy life. If you have the Holy Spirit you will be Holy.  You are separated to God. God help us be people who are like Him, holy, holy, holy. The goal isn’t separation from the World, but it will automatically happen.

It is easy for us humans to get out of balance, our focus must stay on Jesus! John 16:13 “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine and shall shew it unto you.” The Holy Spirit points us to Jesus!

 Some wondered what this means, others said these people are drunk. Isn’t this a great summary of how people tend to respond?

These Jews had a foundation, many were expecting the Messiah. Peter’s sermon clicked for them and they were in.

Peter’s Sermon

Verse 4: It seems many spoke in other languages. But in verse 7 it turns to Peter and his sermon.

This was in the temple, the Jewish center of the world. Peter is preaching Christ, a new way. Repent and be baptized for forgiveness and then you too will receive the Holy Spirit. Verse 28 Culture takes time to change, you can know there is going to be repercussions, or push back.

He uses many OT verses and uses them to show Jesus was Christ. Consider who was listening. There is good reason, his audience had the same foundation. This is a good example for us, know the Bible and use it.

Verse 24: “There was no way for death to hold him” Soon this will be said of all of us!

Verse 36: “Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” Jews from all over were listening.