You Can Receive Power

Before we get to our text this morning, I want to give you a brief introduction into the book of Acts. The book of Acts is the second book written by Luke. It is written to the same person that He wrote the book of Luke to, Theophilus. We just finished the Gospel of Luke that gave us a beautiful look at Jesus’ life. The book we are starting today, the book of Acts, will give us Luke’s account of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Jerusalem. Acts also gives account of the growth and development of the early church that followed. With both of these books, Luke gives us a full and accurate account of the beginnings of Christianity. We have done a thorough look at the Life of Christ, 27 weeks through the book of Luke. Now, we will look at the church, as we go through the book of Acts.

1. Understanding the Role the Holy Spirit Plays in the Development of the Early Church.

As we begin this look at Acts, I want you to pay close attention to three things here in the beginning. First, I cannot interpret the book of Acts for you without understanding the role that the Holy Spirit plays in the development of the early church. Jesus promised a supernatural power that would come upon each believer in Acts 1:8

Acts 1:8 NIV

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.”

It is through this powerful experience that the church would spread throughout the world and would continue to be what we know as the church today.

2. Understanding the Leadership Role the Believers were Given to Start the Early Church

Second, I cannot interpret the book of Acts without understanding the leadership role the believers were given to start the early church. We will read in a little bit, Acts 1:23-26, where they nominate two men to replace Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Jesus. They knew the importance of the leadership role and that it was important to replace Judas.

3. The Overall Picture of the Church from Its Beginning Stages

And third, you cannot interpret the book of Acts without looking at the overall picture of the church from its beginning stages in Acts 2:42-47. We see a group of people coming together to function as a body of believers working to spread the Gospel message around the world. These believers were instructed to be witnesses of Jesus and so the church began.

For the next several weeks, I hope to give you a look into the early church. I want you to experience the church like never before. I want you to understand why they did what they did. And I want you to understand what our role as the church is today. However, the first thing we must understand is what Luke begins this book with, the power of the Holy Spirit. So, let’s begin with Acts chapter 1.

Acts 1:1–3 NIV

1 In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3 After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.

Luke is giving you a brief look at what took place from after Jesus’ resurrection to the day that he ascended into heaven. Verse 4 begins what would be one of the last things that Jesus said to His disciples before ascending.

Acts 1:4–8 NIV

4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” 6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 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.”

Jesus was quick to point out that it wasn’t their concern on when the kingdom was going to be established. He wanted them to know that the Holy Spirit was coming to give them a power like they had never felt before.

This power would enable them to go to all the world. They would be able to fulfill what Christ had been sharing with them all this time.

Luke is telling us that the emphasis of the book of Acts is on the power of the Holy Spirit.

In Acts 1:8 the word for power in the Greek is dynamis. It is the same word that we get dynamite from. It is an explosive power that comes all at once. This word describes the ability to perform an activity; by extension, it refers to someone in a position of power or the force of a person’s action. This word also functions as a description of God’s action in the gospel and its empowering effects in the life of the church.

We saw an example of this type of power in Luke.

Luke 9:1 NIV

1 When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases,

Paul talks about this same power when he talks about the gifts of the spirit.

1 Corinthians 12:10 NIV

10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.

We do not need to be concerned with when God is going to come back. Guess what? It doesn’t matter when God comes back. He has given you the power that you need to do the work that He has called you to do. You must not stop doing what He wants you to do until the day that He returns.

If Christians were more concerned about those that are lost than when Christ comes back we would see our churches filled.

Just like there was more for the disciples to do there is still more for us to do. We can’t sit around and wait for Christ to return. We must make sure that we are telling everyone we know about the story that God has given us to tell.

Acts 1:9–11 NIV

9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. 10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

Jesus was gone and now it was their time to wait for this promise that Jesus had given them. So, what do they do while they wait.

Acts 1:12–26 NIV

12 Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk from the city. 13 When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. 14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. 15 In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty) 16 and said, “Brothers and sisters, the Scripture had to be fulfilled in which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus. 17 He was one of our number and shared in our ministry.” 18 (With the payment he received for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out. 19 Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) 20 “For,” said Peter, “it is written in the Book of Psalms: “ ‘May his place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in it,’ and, “ ‘May another take his place of leadership.’ 21 Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, 22 beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.” 23 So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. 24 Then they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen 25 to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.” 26 Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.

The disciples understood the importance of replacing Judas. They knew that Jesus had chosen 12 of them for a reason. During their prayer time, they knew that it was important that they replace Judas. They were waiting for this promise that had been given to them. They wanted the power that Jesus had promised to them. And then finally the day had come. chapter 2.

Acts 2:1–4 NIV

1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

Notice this passage says they were all together in one place. “They” refers to 120 followers of Jesus, including the 12 disciples. This sentence reveals a time, location and attitude.

The time is the Jewish feast day of Pentecost. The location is described as “in one place” which refers to an upper room in Jerusalem. And the attitude of those gathered was “all together,” meaning they were in unity of heart and mind.

Suddenly, they all heard a tremendous noise that sounded like a gale-force wind. In fact, the sound was so loud that people throughout the city heard it. Even more remarkably, in addition to hearing this sound, they saw “tongues of fire” that appeared to rest upon each of them individually.

After hearing something they’d never heard and seeing something they’d never seen, these people suddenly found themselves with the power to do something they’d never done: “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”

The Greek word translated “tongues” is Glossa, which is the root of our English word glossary. It means “language.” In other words, the 120 people gathered in this room suddenly begin to speak languages they didn’t know.

This sequence of events naturally makes us wonder what was occurring. And why did these events happen on this particular day—the Jewish feast day of Pentecost? Let’s take a look at the History of Pentecost.

The History of Pentecost

There are 3 major feasts in the nation of Israel. God instituted these events through Moses. The Jewish holy calendar contains a total of seven feasts, but all seven fall within three major multi-way holidays occurring in the first, third, and seventh months of the Jewish calendar. These 3 holidays are the Feast of Passover, the Feast of Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles. Until the Roman armies destroyed the Jerusalem temple in AD 70, Jews throughout the Roman world traveled to Jerusalem three times a year to sacrifice and celebrate these feasts.

At the Passover feast they commemorated the event centuries earlier in Egypt when the angel of death passed over the children of Israel on the night before their great deliverance from bondage. The Israelites sacrificed a pure lamb and would paint the lambs blood on the doorpost of their homes. That would signify that their home was protected and the angel of death would passover that house.

As the name suggests, the Feast of Pentecost was always celebrated on the 50th day after the Passover festival.

pente = “five” koste = “times ten”

Pente is the Greek word for “five,” and the suffix koste indicates “times ten.” This feast commemorated God’s giving the Law to Moses on Mount sinai 50 days after the exodus from Egypt.

Many of you know that the number 7 appears many times throughout scripture, and it symbolizes completion, full maturity, or perfection. God ordained the Feast of Pentecost to occur seven weeks after Passover, plus one day. Because a week is comprised of seven days, Pentecost comes the day after seven times seven days—a perfectly perfect period of time.

During Jesus time Jerusalem was always a busy and crowded place. But during the seasons of the major feasts, Jewish pilgrims from all over the Roman Empire filled the city to overflowing. The Jewish people were scattered all over the known world and by the time Jesus came on the scene, there were more Jews that actually lived outside the area than lived within. Never was Jerusalem more packed with people and from a more diverse range of nations than during the 8 week period leading up to Passover and running through Pentecost. This is the setting for the events of Pentecost Sunday. Now look at Acts 2:5-13

Acts 2:5–13 NIV

5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?” 13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”

There are 2 miracles that seem to be at work here.

First, 120 people suddenly begin speaking in various heavenly languages they’d never before known. Second, thousands of people hear these individuals speaking in their own native languages.

In other words, the people from Libya hear them all speaking Libyan. The people from Crete hear the same people speaking Cretan. And the Romans hear the same messages in perfect Latin.

Never before in history had a group of people come together in a more unifying event. On the Day of Pentecost, God came down and removed language as a barrier from knowing him.

This is what heaven will be like. Every tribe, tongue, and nation will gather together, all speaking one language—the language of praise to God. This is precisely what happened on the Day of Pentecost.

So, what does all this mean for us today?

Think about it this way, for the first time since the fall of man in the garden, the coming of the indwelling Holy Spirit empowered people to walk righteously on this earth. We know that Jesus came to make us righteous positionally; in other words, His death and resurrection put us in right standing with God. But we often miss the fact that the Holy Spirit empowers us to live in a way consistent with our righteous position in Christ.

When the Law was given to Israel through Moses, no one could keep it. The Law gave the Israelites an understanding of what pleased God, but it couldn’t give them the internal ability to live it. With their fallen natures still intact, they simply had no power to keep the Law.

However, when the Holy Spirit fills a person’s life, amazing things happen. A previously dead human spirit is regenerated by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit writes a new law upon the heart of that believer. In fact, Jesus said the entire teaching of the 600 Laws and the Prophets could be summed up with, “Love God with all your heart,” and, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

When a person receives a full release of the Holy Spirit’s power, he receives the empowerment to walk in love. In other words, you can’t walk righteously without the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 8:1 NIV

1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,

When Paul uses the phrase “in Christ,” he is referring to those who are in a right relationship with Jesus through faith in him. Such individuals are united with Christ and identify with him in his death to sin and in being raised to a new life.

Remember, when Christ was on the cross He took the sins of the world upon Himself. He died physically representing us being dead to sin and then He resurrected, bringing about new life. His resurrection represents us having a new life in Christ.

For the twelve disciples of Jesus and the 108 others gathered in the room on Pentecost Sunday, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit changed everything. Before that day they struggled to understand scriptures. Afterward they realized that the entire Old Testament pointed prophetically and symbolically to the life and redeeming work of Jesus. What had previously been shrouded in mystery suddenly became completely clear. It was like their eyes had been opened to something new and amazing.

Before that day the disciples were timid and afraid—hiding in locked rooms and dreading the knock at the door. After that remarkable day, the disciples personified boldness and confidence. They proclaimed Jesus in public squares and synagogues. When arrested and threatened with beatings or worse if they didn’t stop preaching, they shrugged and said, “No can do.” They no longer feared the disapproval of man! They were now living their life for an audience of one. There was a new power that changed their life forever.

Maybe you are still wondering if it is for you. Look again at Acts 2:3-4

Acts 2:3–4 NIV

3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

Two words I want you to consider in both of these verses: “each” and “all”.

The 120 individuals in that room represented a wide spectrum of society. Rich and influential people, in addition possibly those that were formerly blind beggars and lepers that Jesus healed. Maybe former prostitutes He ministered to. The 12 disciples, maybe even farmers and homemakers. It was a very diverse group of people.

Remember the scripture said they saw what seemed to be tongues of fire on tops of each of their heads. No one was exempt from this. Everyone saw it. It just wasn’t for the elite or those that were in full-time ministry, they were “all filled with the Holy Spirit,” and they all “began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

The baptism in the Holy Spirit is for everyone. You have to receive and believe by faith. You would need to trust that not just the “spiritual people” were empowered; but everyone was. That is exactly what we must do to receive the Holy Spirit. You receive Him and His ministry the same way you received Jesus—by faith.

Remember what we read in chapter 1, Jesus said, “wait for the gift my Father promised…” This is not a what but a who. The Who is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a promise given to us by the Father in Heaven.

Next week we will read about what happens next. Today, you have an opportunity to receive the promise of the Holy Spirit that is for everyone. Jesus told them, “You will receive power after the Holy spirit comes upon you to be my witnesses.” Today is the day for you to receive this promise. If that is you and you want to receive the promise of the Holy Spirit then make your way to the front. We want to pray for you to receive the power of the Holy Spirit. Is there anyone here? Come now. Maybe you are here and it has been a long time since you have felt the presence of God and you want to be filled again with the Holy Spirit, you can come too. Come.