Pentecost (Acts 2)
When we left off in Acts 1, the apostles had a…
Recognition of Mission
Expectation of Christ
Habit of Prayer
Obedience of Scripture
But they weren’t plugged in yet. It was as if they had all the electric wires ran through the house, but the power hadn’t been turned on yet. Jesus had commanded them to go and wait for the power to be turned on. He promised to send the Holy Spirit, who would clothe them with power from on high. Only then were they to go about the mission to take the good news to the whole world.
Beloved, do you have the wires run? Do you have a recognition of the mission? Do you have the expectation of Christ? Do you have the habit of prayer? Do you have the obedience to the Scriptures?
Are you maintaining these things? Wires fray and wear out. So too do these things if we neglect them. The mission is easy to forget. So many everyday concerns and duties pile around it until it’s forgotten under the mess. The expectation of Christ’s imminent appearance is easily clouded by the immediacy of lesser things. The habit of prayer is easily put aside for things that seem more productive. The obedience of Scripture is quickly put aside for things that seem neutral or harmless.
But we need endurance and perseverance in all these things. We need to have an enduring and persevering sense of mission. An enduring and persevering expectation of Christ’s return. An enduring and persevering habit of prayer. An enduring and persevering obedience to the Word.
Then we need to be sure that we are plugged in. I’ll deal with “How do we get plugged into the power of the Spirit?” after we go to the text to see the answer to the question: “What does it look like to be plugged into the power of the Spirit?”
We rejoin the apostles and disciples of Jesus. They have been watching and waiting for the Holy Spirit for about ten days. Now, we see…
THE ARRIVAL OF THE SPIRIT (vv. 1-13)
About 10 days after Jesus ascended to heaven, the Jews celebrated the day of Pentecost. Pentecost is the Greek name that was given to the Feast of Weeks. The Feast of Weeks was required attendance for all who were able to make it to Jerusalem. So, the city of Jerusalem was swollen with people who were visiting the city. Many of them from further away may have been staying in the city since Passover. The apostles and disciples, in the meantime, were waiting and watching for the Spirit to come. 1 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. This was the visible manifestation of the Spirit’s arrival. It sounded like a nice Kansas wind! 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. Every apostle and disciple in the place was given the Holy Spirit. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. The Holy Spirit was now speaking through them in other languages. That’s what the Greek word ‘tongue’ means. It means ‘language.’ This was not nonsensical gibberish. They were speaking real languages that they had never learned.
5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. They were in Jerusalem for Pentecost. Remember that most of the Jews didn’t actually live in the land of Israel. They were dispersed all around the world. So most Jews spoke Greek or some other language. 6 And at this sound [the wind and the tongues] the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. 7 And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language [διαλεκτος]? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, 11 both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” From the very outset, this is what the Spirit does. The Spirit empowers for testimony to the mighty works of God accomplished in and by Jesus Christ. And as always, there are two responses: First, 12 And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” Second, 13 But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.” Scoffers always offer up lame excuses for unbelief. Wine lessens ability. It doesn’t explain how a bunch of uneducated nobodies from Galilee can all of a sudden preach fluently in other languages!
But this accusation gave the occasion for the apostles to respond to the question.
THE TESTIMONY OF THE SPIRIT (vv. 14-41)
14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. 15 For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour (9 AM) of the day.
16 But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:
Then he quotes from Joel 2:
17 “ ‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams;
18 even on my male servants and female servants
in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.
19 And I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;
20 the sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.
21 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’
There is a lot of discussion about why Peter is using this passage from Joel 2. He seems to be connecting the pouring out of the Spirit with the salvation of everyone who calls upon the Lord before the day of the Lord comes. He seems to be looking forward to the Second Coming and all the signs that will precede that day; and he is seeing every day from this moment on Pentecost in Acts 2 as leading up to the Second Coming; and he is calling for a response from all the people of Israel standing before him. Remember Acts 1:6. They’re still thinking Jesus is going to come back rather quickly. They’re not yet understanding that the gospel is going to go to the Gentiles and the church is going to quickly become mostly Gentiles for about 2,000 years or more. I think in Peter’s mind at this time, he sees the gospel going forth to the Jews and them all believing and ushering in the times of refreshing (as he calls it in chapter 3).
So, based on Joel’s prophecy, he preaches:
22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— 23 this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, (evidenced by the Old Testament prophets) you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. 24 God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. The resurrection was key to Peter’s preaching. And he shows again that this is nothing new: 25 For David says concerning him [Psalm 16],
“‘I saw the Lord always before me,
for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken;
26 therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;
my flesh also will dwell in hope.
27 For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,
or let your Holy One see corruption.
28 You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’
The objection that is always raised to the interpretation that many of the psalms speak about the Messiah is that David was probably talking about himself. But Peter denies this objection:
29 “Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. David wasn’t saying that HE wouldn’t see corruption. David died, was buried, decomposed, and his remains were still around. The only reasonable response is that 30 Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, 31 he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. What God declared beforehand, now God has accomplished. 32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. But, you might ask, where is He? Peter answers: 33 Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. Christ has ascended to heaven, just as the Scriptures foretold. Again, Peter goes to Scripture to back this up: 34 For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says [Psalm 110:1],
“ ‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
35 until I make your enemies your footstool.” ’
And until His return in glory, He has witnessed to Himself by pouring out the Holy Spirit, the sign of the New Covenant.
No sermon is complete without application. So what is the response that God requires?
First, believe. 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.”
Second, mourn. 37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
Third, repent and be baptized. 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”
Notice Peter’s urgency. 40 And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.”
THE WORK OF THE SPIRIT (vv. 42-47)
The Spirit did a wonderful work on that day. 41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. The Spirit came with wind and tongues of fire; and He ignited Peter’s preaching into a wildfire. And the church was born. It exploded on the scene.
What was the church like in those early days? They were much the same as us. They were marked by four things. 1. 42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching; 2. and the fellowship, 3. to the breaking of bread 4. and the prayers.
43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.
Because so many who were saved were visitors in Jerusalem, there was a great need to care for those souls. They couldn’t go home–at least not yet. They needed to stay and be instructed in the faith. This was the only church in existence in the whole world! So…44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.
And they clung together. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. The church would soon be persecuted. But as of now, their fruitfulness was delightful to the unbelieving Jews.
And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
APPLICATION:
That’s what it looks like to be plugged into the power of the Holy Spirit. Now, we need to quickly answer: How can we be plugged into this same power?
The truth is, we were plugged into this power the moment that we were saved. We don’t need a “Pentecost” moment, because that happened when we were saved. It may not have been as dramatic as it was on that Pentecost day. But that doesn’t mean it’s not just as real. You have already been clothed with power.
Now we just have to appropriate that power. In the words of the text, we need to be filled with the Holy Spirit. How do we do that? Back to the beginning: make sure your wires are maintained. Be mission-focused. Be Christ-focused. Be prayer-focused. Be obedience-focused.
The Lord Jesus spoke a parable: Suppose one of you fathers is asked byu his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him? Your heavenly Father loves you. He has made it clear that He desires that you are filled with His Spirit. You know His will in this. So all you have to do is ask.
Ask for power to stay focused on the mission. Ask for power to stay focused on Christ’s return. As for power to pray at all times. Ask for power to know and remember the Word at all times. He will give it.
When we do that, we will be neither useless nor fruitless. Let us all be filled with the Holy Spirit and speak the gospel in faith. May He give us a harvest of souls like He gave to Peter and the apostles on that day of Pentecost so long ago.
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