They were all filled with the Holy Spirit

Acts 2:1–11 LSB

1 And when the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared to them tongues like fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance. 5 Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language. 7 So they were astounded and marveling, saying, “Behold, are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 “And how is it that we each hear them in our own language in which we were born? 9 “Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the district of Libya around Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabs—we hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God.”

Introduction:

In Acts chapter one, we established the foundation of the Church. Verse 1-11: Christ, as Head of the Church, gives the marching orders to His Apostles and promises to send the Holy Spirit to them. Verse 12-26: The church organizes by filling the vacant apostle’s seat, and continues to meet together for prayer as they wait for the Spirit as Christ has promised. Chapter two is the fulfilment of that promise. Note: Many believe the church began at Pentecost. I personally believe it started with Christ long before. We see the church preaching the Gospel, Baptizing converts, observing the Lord’s Supper, and organizing leadership in the church long before Pentecost. I would say that “the church as we know it” began at Pentecost. Christ is no longer leading them in a physical body. He has sent His Spirit to fill each believer and is guiding them. The problem with not acknowledging the church’s existence before Pentecost is some will ignore church doctrine found in the gospels because it is before Pentecost. Here are some key words to point out.

The day of Pentecost.

Acts 2:1 (LSB) 1 And when the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all together in one place.

Leviticus 23:15–16 LSB

15 ‘You shall also count for yourselves from the day after the sabbath, from the day when you brought in the sheaf of the wave offering; there shall be seven complete sabbaths. 16 ‘You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh sabbath; then you shall bring a new grain offering near to Yahweh.

Pentecost was celebrated by the nation of Israel 50 days after Passover. This celebration was part of the larger feast of weeks that they observed each year. There are two harvest seasons based on the two rainy seasons in Israel. The feast of first fruits is based on the first harvest season. In this feast, they would celebrate by offering to Yahweh the “first fruits.” There is also a strong connection in this feast to the promised Messiah who would bless Israel and make them even more fruitful. We also see the connection to the resurrection. Jesus is the first fruits of the resurrection. The Church will be a part of the second resurrection. 1 Corinthians 15:20-23

1 Corinthians 15:20–23 LSB

20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming.

The rushing wind. The Sound of the Spirit.

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

John 3:8 LSB

8 “The wind blows where it wishes and you hear its sound, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who has been born of the Spirit.”

The tongues of fire. The Sight of the Spirit.

Acts 2:3 (LSB) 3 And there appeared to them tongues like fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them.

Matthew 3:16 LSB

16 And after being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon Him,

Exodus 3:2 LSB

2 And the angel of Yahweh appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of the bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed.

The Preaching of the Gospel. The filling of the Spirit.

Acts 2:4 (LSB) 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.

1. The Holy Spirit was promised by the Prophets.

The Prophet Joel

Joel 2:28–32 LSB

28 “And it will be afterwards That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy; Your old men will dream dreams; Your young men will see visions. 29 “Even on the male slaves and female slaves I will in those days pour out My Spirit. 30 “And I will put wonders in the sky and on the earth, Blood, fire, and columns of smoke. 31 “The sun will be turned into darkness And the moon into blood Before the great and awesome day of Yahweh comes. 32 “And it will be that everyone who calls on the name of Yahweh Will be delivered; For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem There will be those who escape, As Yahweh has said, Even among the survivors whom Yahweh calls.

John the Baptist

Matthew 3:11–12 LSB

11 “As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 “His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

Jesus Christ.

Acts 1:5 LSB

5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

2. The Holy Spirit has come to the church because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

John 20:19–23 LSB

19 So while it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and while the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 “If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained.”

Verse 23 is significant. We see the Apostolic authority given to the church to be clear and definite regarding the forgiveness of sins. Matthew 16:17-19

Matthew 16:17–19 LSB

17 And Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. 19 “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”

Matthew 18:15–20 LSB

15 “Now if your brother sins, go and show him his fault, between you and him alone; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. 16 “But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed. 17 “And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as the Gentile and the tax collector. 18 “Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. 19 “Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. 20 “For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”

3. The church was filled with the Spirit for the purpose of fulfilling the great commission.

Acts 2:3–4 LSB

3 And there appeared to them tongues like fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.

Other tongues = Other languages

Acts 1:8 LSB

8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the end of the earth.”

Conclusion:

1. The purpose of the filling of the Holy Spirit is always the preaching of the Gospel.

Every single time someone is filled with the Spirit in the NT, they quote Scripture about Jesus. Elizabeth.

Luke 1:41–42 LSB

41 And it happened that when Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 And she cried out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!

Peter.

Acts 4:8–10 LSB

8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people, 9 if we are being examined today for a good deed done to a sick man, as to how this man has been saved from his sickness, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by this name this man stands here before you in good health.

The Disciples

Acts 4:31 LSB

31 And when they had prayed earnestly, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with confidence.

There are many other examples. But you can see the pattern.

2. The church was able to bear witness of the Gospel to every nation at Pentecost.

Acts 2:5–11 LSB

5 Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language. 7 So they were astounded and marveling, saying, “Behold, are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 “And how is it that we each hear them in our own language in which we were born? 9 “Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the district of Libya around Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabs—we hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God.”

3. The Spirit always bears witness of Christ.

John 14:26 LSB

26 “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.

John 15:26–27 LSB

26 “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness about Me, 27 and you will bear witness also, because you have been with Me from the beginning.

1 John 4:1–3 LSB

1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.

4. Don’t become so distracted by the sign gift that you miss the message.

A sign is intended to get your intention to deliver a message. (Stop sign)