Divine Power For The Sacred Mission

Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.)

Have you ever felt like you were in over your head? Maybe it was a job you felt under qualified for and you hoped your boss wouldn’t find out. Or a relationship where you know you’re the lucky one and you hope the other person doesn’t figure that out! Or maybe it’s an AP class in school or a sports team where it’s pretty clear everyone else is better than you.

Just imagine then how Jesus’ disciples may have felt after being told that they will be His witnesses from Jerusalem and to the ends of the earth! Most of these guys were Galileans — they were back-woods rednecks of Israel! I have to imagine that they felt a little over their heads with the sacred mission that Jesus gave them! — How in the world were they to bear witness to Jesus’ resurrection to the ends of the earth!????

This is a message for all of us today who don’t feel like we can talk to other people about Jesus. You feel like it’s too far over your head — You don’t feel qualified enough. You’re terrified you may not have the right words or worse that you may say something wrong and instead of converting to Christianity they become Mormons!

Therefore many conclude that this is a job that’s better left to the professionals, to pastors and evangelists. To people with a special gift for evangelism.

Well, Acts chapter 2 is the encouragement you need. Here we will see how God equips those that He calls with Divine Power for the Sacred Mission He gives us!

Scripture

Let’s get to the Word of God now. Please turn with me to Acts 2:1-41. If you need to use a pew Bible, you’ll find today’s text on page 1081. Once you’re there, please stand with me if you are able and follow along with me as I read...

Acts 2:1–41 ESV

When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.” 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. For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: “ ‘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; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ “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— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. For David says concerning him, “ ‘I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope. For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’ “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. 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, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. 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. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, “ ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” ’ Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” 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?” 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. 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.” And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

This God’s Word!

Prayer

Good Father, as we spend time in Your Word in these moments may we experience your Word as truly living and active. May the Spirit take your Word as it’s preached and convict and draw hearts to Jesus that we may have a fresh experience of your grace today. We ask all this in Christ’s worthy Name — AMEN!

Intro: Formal (give context to passage, setting the scene, big idea)

Alright, last week we ended with the 120 followers of Jesus choosing a replacement for Judas — So there is once again 12 Apostles.

Today as we begin chapter 2 we find these believers still together and on the day of Pentecost.

Pentecost was one of the 3 major feast days in Israel. It happened 50 days after Passover. So, this puts it at about the beginning of June.

And this festival was one of the most well attended because travel conditions were very favorable at this time of year.

This is why v. 5 and following tells us that there were so many people there from all over the known world!

Now we know that all the major feast days in the OT all pointed to Jesus. For example, Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world that all the passover lambs pointed to!

So, how does Jesus fulfill the feat of Pentecost? Well, this feast is also known as the feast of the “first fruits.” It is a celebration of the harvest when people would give their first fruits to the Lord.

And it’s here at Pentecost where we will see that all these harvests pointed to a great spiritual harvest of souls when the Spirit was poured out and 3,000 people were saved! — And this would just be the first fruits of the great harvest of souls to come through the church!

Not bad for some backwoods Galileans! But how? And what does this mean for our own effective witness today?

Let’s break this event down using 3 points.

The Event

The Explanation

The Effect

The Event

Verse 2 — And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were!

Both the Greek and Hebrew word for wind can also mean Spirit. The Hebrew word can also mean breath.

This should remind us of Ezekiel 37:10 when Ezekiel prophesied over the dry bones in the valley and it says that breath came into them and made them alive! — This is because only the Spirit can give life AND now at Pentecost God’s life giving Spirit is filling His people and giving them new spiritual life!

Next, Luke tells in v. 3 that divided tongues of fire appeared and rested on each one of them! This was a fulfillment of what John the Baptist said about Jesus in Matthew 3:11

Matthew 3:11 ESV

“I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

But there’s an even greater OT fulfillment here…

Consider the fact that in the OT fire is often symbol of God’s presence.

God appeared to Moses in the burning bush

God met with Moses on the top of Mount Sinai in fire when He gave the 10 Commandments

God lead His people Israel through the wilderness in a pillar of fire.

The tabernacle and later the temple were both filled with smoke at their dedication symbolizing the presence of God dwelling in these structures.

Understand then what this image of fire means for God’s people now! — It’s absolutely astounding!!! — While there was a time when God’s presence could only be sought by going to the temple — Luke is telling us in Acts 2 that just as the Spirit filled the temple in the OT, so here the Spirit is filling a new temple — God’s new-covenant people.

And the fact that these flames appeared as tongues is a clue to the kind of power being bestowed on God’s people — The power of speech! Here the disciples begin to speak in the languages of the many nations gathered in Jerusalem for the feast of Pentecost!

And it’s interesting that in Luke’s writings, the vast majority of the time when he uses the phrase “filled with the Spirit,” it is in connection with some form of speaking! And while the Spirit may empower God’s people to do a variety of things — all of them share one thing in common…they magnify Jesus!

Now I have to believe that the disciples could not have fathomed how it was that God would equip them for the mission of bringing the Gospel to the nations! — And that this was a task that was over their heads! But here we see that familiar principle that God equips those that He calls — Even uneducated Galileans!

How about you? How is it that you feel under qualified for the mission!? Our enemy would love nothing more than to discourage you and knock you off-mission in exalting Jesus with our speech.

So, we must not forget that His Spirit indwells all of us who are united to Christ by faith and empowers us for the very work He calls us to! — To doubt our ability to speak about Jesus is to doubt the power of the Holy Spirit that indwells us.

If God can empower uneducated Galileans with speech, then He has also empowered you!

So, that’s the event…now let’s consider its explanation…

The Explanation

In vv. 12-13 Luke tells us the people were amazed and perplexed — asking, “What does this mean?” — While others mocked, presuming they have had too much to drink!

To this Peter stands to address this massive crowd and in v. 15 he puts these drinking rumors to rest… Really guys? It’s only 9am — It’s too early for anyone to have had too much to drink yet!

Then Peter explains to them exactly what is going on.

First, Peter tells them that this event is the fulfillment of Joel 2 — which interestingly was always read from during the Feast of Pentecost!

In Verse 17 Peter tells them that these are the LAST DAYS Joel prophesied about. I always find it funny when people ask based on current events, “Are we in the last days?” — I like to answer this by saying, “Yes and we’ve been in the LAST DAYS since the events of Pentecost!”

And we know these are the last days because the Spirit has been poured out before their eyes on all flesh — ordinary believers! Young and Old, Slave and Free! — They are all prophesying (which in Acts means that they are proclaiming the mighty works of God through His Son Jesus Christ!).

In the OT God’s Spirit was given only to certain people to empower them for certain tasks and for a temporary time. But now ALL believers are given the Spirit for the purpose of proclaiming the mighty works of God through Jesus Christ!

Now Peter pivots to proclaim to them these mighty works…

In v. 22 Peter identifies Jesus as, “Jesus of Nazareth, a man…” This highlights the incarnation of Jesus — when God became man to represent us. And Peter says that we know this because of the mighty works and signs that He did.

Next in v. 23 Peter highlights the crucifixion of Jesus which was not a tragedy but was the definite plan of God! But notice something interesting here…Peter assigns moral responsibility to his audience for having Jesus killed. What’s interesting is that many of these people were not even there because they have traveled in for the Feast of Pentecost — And yet, they too are guilty of killing Jesus because He went to the cross to pay for their sins. So too, today, just like this crowd, we are all guilty because our sins equally drove Him to the cross!

Next in v. 24 Peter highlights the resurrection of Jesus, explaining that it was not possible for Him to be held by it. Why? — Because Jesus was actually perfect, therefore death had no claim on Him! Now Peter backs this up with more Scripture — this time turning to David’s words in Psalm 16 especially where it says, “For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption.” From here Peter’s argument is that David, as a prophet foresaw the resurrection and was talking about the Christ the whole time!! Why? — Compare the tombs!!! David is still in his tomb and Jesus’ tomb is empty! Therefore it was really Jesus that David was writing about all along!

Next Peter connects the resurrection of Jesus to his ascension in vv. 32-33 — Jesus is now reigning on His throne in Heaven at the right hand of God the Father! And how do we know this? Peter says that it’s because of what the crowd is now witnessing — Jesus pouring out the Spirit that Joel prophesied about!

Finally, Peter turns to more Scripture as evidence that this is yet another fulfillment of prophecy. This time he quotes David’s words in Psalm 110:1 and again points out the plain fact that David never ascended to Heaven, therefore he was writing about Jesus the whole time!

So, Peter proclaims the mighty works of Christ as evidenced by the events of Pentecost that fulfills the Scriptures. That Jesus…

Became a man at the incarnation…

In order that He could take our place at the crucifixion…

Walk out of that tomb 3 days later at the resurrection…

And return to the right hand of the Father at the ascension

Finally, Peter wraps this up in v. 36 by declaring that because of these works we can know for certain that Jesus is the Christ whom our sins crucified!

The entire human race shares equal guilt for the crucifixion of Jesus the Son of God!

This we can know for certain!

Now let’s move on to my final point — What is the effect of Peter’s message?…

The Effect

I just love v. 37 — Peter doesn’t even give any kind of altar call! It’s the people who are cut to the heart and ask, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

Peter tells them to repent and be baptized EVERY ONE OF YOU for the forgiveness of your sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit too!

Let’s take this in parts…

First, repent — love how one author describes what this means…

A Spirit empowered desire to stop sinning

A Spirit empowered determination to obey Jesus instead

Second, be baptized — Does this mean that we need to be baptized in order to truly be saved? — No, because we know the thief on the cross was never baptized and yet Jesus told him he would be in paradise with Him that day!

This is because it is simply belief or trust in the mighty works of Christ that saves a person!

So, why does Peter say we must be baptized? The most compelling explanation for this is I’ve heard is that at this time in the history of the church as people were coming to faith so rapidly that in this instance the people’s baptism was at the same time their profession of faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins! So, it was not their physical baptism that saved them but their repentance and faith!

One example of this later in Acts 16 is when the Philippian jailer asks Paul and Silas, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved!”

So, what must we do in response to Peter’s message? — Repent and believe/be baptized! When you do this the death of the perfect Son of God is applied to your account and then just like Jesus, death will no longer have any claim on you! And it will not be possible for Death to hold you — just as it couldn’t hold Jesus!

This promise, Peter says, is for YOU & for EVERYONE! — For your children and those who are far off. Perhaps you are here today and think you are too far gone for Jesus to forgive you — you’ve done too many things you’re ashamed of! — Well, I’ve got good news for you…that sounds to me like you are “far off” and according to Peter this promise is for you…

So, I plead with you as Peter pleaded with that first crowd at Pentecost — Save yourselves from this crooked generation!” — Repent and believe that Jesus lived, died, rose again, and has ascended for the forgiveness of your sins.

Finally church, never underestimate the power of an ordinary Christian filled with the Spirit to proclaim the mighty works of Christ to those in their lives both far and near!

If you struggle to tell others about Jesus, then take your eyes off yourself and remember the power of the Spirit that has filled you to equip you for this very mission!

Prayer

Closing Song: O Church Arise

Benediction

May Christ dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:17–19