Acts 2

The Holy Spirit, our friend

The Holy Spirit our friend.

Today we are celebrating Pentecost

Fifty days after the Passover, the second major Jewish feast, the Feast of Pentecost, or the Feast of Ingathering.

This is the time when they would gather the winter wheat, the winter grains that had been sown.

The Feast of Pentecost was marked by them taking a portion of their field and harvesting it. Tying the wheat and the sheaves, bringing them in and offering them before the Lord as a wave offering, as the priest would take the sheaves and wave them before the Lord and offer them as the first fruits unto God.

There’s a harvest that is coming in, but this, Lord, is the first fruit. It belongs to You." And they would give to God the first fruits of the increase of their land at the Feast of Pentecost, the Feast of Ingathering.

And as was the custom in all of the Jewish feasts, there would be Jews that had gathered from all over the world to celebrate these feasts.

50 days after Jesus Resurrection, during Pentecost the Holy Spirit came as Jesus had promised.

This marked the beginning of the church

Act 2:41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

Hope is going to help us to remember the second chapter of Acts.

Act 2:1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.

Act 2:2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.

Act 2:3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.

Act 2:4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

Act 2:5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven.

Act 2:6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken.

Act 2:7 Utterly amazed, they asked: "Aren't all these who are speaking Galileans?

Act 2:8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language?

Act 2:9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,

Act 2:10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome

Act 2:11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!"

Act 2:12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this mean?"

Act 2:13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, "They have had too much wine."

Peter's Sermon at Pentecost

Act 2:14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say.

Act 2:15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning!

Act 2:16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

Act 2:17 "'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.

Act 2:18 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.

Act 2:19 I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke.

Act 2:20 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.

Act 2:21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'

Act 2:22 "Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.

Act 2:23 This man was handed over to you by God's deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.

Act 2:24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.

Act 2:25 David said about him: "'I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

Act 2:26 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest in hope,

Act 2:27 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, you will not let your holy one see decay.

Act 2:28 You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.'

Act 2:29 "Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day.

Act 2:30 But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne.

Act 2:31 Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay.

Act 2:32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it.

Act 2:33 Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.

Act 2:34 For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, "'The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand

Act 2:35 until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet."'

Act 2:36 "Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah."

Act 2:37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?"

Act 2:38 Peter replied, "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.

Act 2:39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call."

Act 2:40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation."

Act 2:41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

The Fellowship of the Believers

Act 2:42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Act 2:43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.

Act 2:44 All the believers were together and had everything in common.

Act 2:45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.

Act 2:46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,

Act 2:47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

This was the fulfilment of the prophecy of the prophet Joel

Joe 2:28 "And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.

Joe 2:29 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.

Joe 2:30 I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke.

Joe 2:31 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.

Joe 2:32 And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has said, even among the survivors whom the LORD calls.

The Holy Spirit came in great power, and the world has not been the same since that day.

The disciples were gathering together for prayer every day, on the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit came in a very supernatural way upon them.

Act 2:1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.

Act 2:2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.

Act 2:3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.

Act 2:4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

Act 2:5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven.

Act 2:6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken.

Act 2:7 Utterly amazed, they asked: "Aren't all these who are speaking Galileans?

Act 2:8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language?

A supernatural move of the Holy Spirit that began in a house but quickly moved outside.

Let’s pray

My prayer for us this morning is that we will be filled with the Holy Spirit, that the same anointing and power that came over the disciples, that transformed their lives will come over you today.

What Happened that day, it was supernatural,

Jesus sent the Holy Spirit for all people, for you and me, to be our Helper our friend

He knew that for us to walk with him and please God, we would need help, we can not do it on our own, is actually impossible for anyone to live a life free of sin away from the Holy Spirit,

1 He will be with us forever

John 14:16-18

16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever.

-The word used in the Greek is (Parakletos) , Helper, intercessor, advocate, defender, comforter

17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

Jesus knew how much we need the Holy Spirit, and He would not be coming and going from our lives, He would be with us forever. A friend and a helper who would never gives up on us, who would always pursue us, even when we reject him and betray Him , He would not turn His back on us.

Do you know him?

A friend is some one who loves you at all times, they are always there for you.

Pro 17:17 A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.

They are committed to you, they want to see your success, they rejoice with you, and they will cry with you, they will join you in battle and protect you.

Jesus says they will give their lives for you.

Joh 15:13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends.

We just read about David and Jonathan’s relationship, if you are following the bible Recap, if not just start today it will bless you, more than you can ever imagine.

Jonathan was older than David, but he recognized the Spirit of the Lord over David, his anointing and he loved him, the bible says Jonathan loved him as himself, a brotherly love no perversion as some would like to distort scripture these days, they loved each other, so they formed a covenant with each other before the Lord . They sworn friendship before the Lord including their descendants, as the custom , They would cut an animal in half and walk in the middle of each part, with the understanding let this be done to me if I ever break this covenant.

King David after becoming the king, he remembers his friend Jonathan, and he ask is anyone from the house of Jonathan left that I can bless, a friend is not only committed to you but to your children.

2Sa 9:1 David asked, "Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan's sake?"

Kim and I just came back from Oklahoma where we attended our daughter’s graduation, what a exciting ceremony, I wish you were all there, to see her receiving her Bachelor of Science in nursing.

We are so grateful for all the wonderful friends who loved us and support our children for our sake.

Erika worked hard but she wouldn’t be able to do it on her own, she is a hard worker but without God family and many friends would be impossible.

When you google the average cost of raising a child from 0-17 is $233.610 and this amount is for a middle class family with two kids, no illness or accidents before they enter into college sharing a car with them, that can double or triple depending of what they decide to do.

As missionaries we couldn’t afford one child much more 4, We knew that only God could help us.

Well, they all survived and are doing well, we still have one more graduating next year on education, thank you very much for all your help and prayers, we are very thankful.

Thank you for loving us and our children!

John 14:26

But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative – that is, the Holy Spirit – he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.

He came to lead us, especially in the areas that we are lost, when we don’t have answers, or we are overwhelmed by the circumstances.

Jesus knew that without the help and intercession of the Holy Spirit, we would not be able to overcome the world, the challenges of life, or the evil one.

God in Us

Today millions follow Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit after all these years we still have a great part of the body of Christ who doesn’t know Him.

2 The Holy Spirit is God

A) The Holy Spirit is part of the Trinity, the God head, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Gen 1 1 In the beginning God (Elohim) created the heavens and the earth.

B) He is Omnipresent

Psalm 139:7-10 Where can I flee from your spirit? Or where will I run from your presence? If I rise to heaven, there you are! If I lay down with the dead, there you are! If I take wings with the dawn and settle down on the western horizon your hand will guide me there, too, while your right hand keeps a firm grip on me.

He is everywhere.

C)The Holy Spirit is the (Dunamis) miraculous power of God

Creation Happened when the Holy Spirit moved,

Every time the Spirit of God moves miracles happen.

Father, Son and Holy Spirit were fully engaged in all creation.

D) He is Holy, the Spirit of holiness, sacred, there is no darkness in Him.

Our iniquities our repetitive sin separates us from Him, but His desire is to be our most intimate friend. He is a close friend.

Isaiah 59:2

But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.

God is triune , God eternally exist as three persons, Father, Son and The Holy Spirit, a triune God, and each person is fully God and there is one God. almighty, omnipotent, omnipresent, He is everywhere, Omniscient (am-nicient), He knows everything.

3 Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would come and empower us.

Act 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

Many years ago Dr Dereck Prince would come to teach at Ywam here in Kona.

He was a great teacher and powerful in prayer,

One of my classmates was a nurse from Holland who lost part of her femur in a car crash, to compensate her short leg of about 4 inches she had a high hill on that foot. One knight Derek was praying for different people as I watch her leg growing back, the power of the Holy Spirit, only God can perform miracles like that. I’m always very skeptical, but I was watching, and I saw her leg growing right in front of me it change my mind.

The Holy Spirit will empower and anoint us to do His work here on earth.

Our own Dr Don Tredway, one of our members here at Mokuaikaua saw the Holy Spirit using him powerfully numerous times in the life of many people, I was privileged to be with him in many occasions.

Let the Spirit of the Lord use you to bless others.

The Holy Spirit Came to help us to be our friend

1 He will be with us forever

2 He is God

3 He came to empower us.

Our journey with the Holy Spirit begins when we make Jesus the Lord of our lives.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Joh 3:16

To receive Jesus we need to accept Him as God’s son, repent from our sins and a life of selfishness, and we need to ask Him to be our Lord and savior, not that we deserve it, but is a gift from God.

If this is your desire today, please repeat this prayer after me?

Heavenly Father I’m sinner,

I’m sorry for my sins,

I’m willing to turn away from my sins.

I receive Christ as my savior,

I confess him as Lord

from this moment on

I want to follow and serve him,

in the fellowship of his church,

In Jesus name. Amen!