The Power of Pentecost Pt. 2

When Last We Met

Our passage is a long one with a lot of territory to cover so I don’t have an elaborate illustration for you. I want to address where we were in Acts 2:1-13 so that we can immediately get to our passage today.

When we talk about power, there are many spheres or realms:

Economic Power

Relational Power

There’s wattage/voltage—physical power

In an election year, we are soon to bear witness to political power.

But in whatever realm or sphere, power matters because power is how you get things done. That’s why phones work better AFTER you turn the power button on, why your car seems to move a LOT quicker after you’ve engaged the engine—you’ve introduced power into the situation for a PURPOSE.

The first part of the chapter was about GOD’s power—not just that He makes promises (like sending the Holy Spirit) but fulfills them. That’s Power!

His ability to orchestrate earthly events in divine timing—that’s what providence is—that’s Power. By His power, we fulfill our purpose which is to fill the earth the the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the seas.

Here’s what I’m saying, there is power and the power source is God, particularly the Holy Spirit who is not an “it” but a “He.” God offers Himself as the source of the power we need. But like any other power or power source, the aim is to transfer that power or energy to get something done.

I am arguing today that when the power source is God’s Spirit, there’s a particular way that Divine Power is transferred: it is through God’s Word.

Broadly speaking, the first part of Acts 2 is about the coming of the Holy Spirit as the source of power as Jesus said He would. But Jesus also said the Spirit would come to ENABLE the Apostles to be witnesses. So, naturally, we’ve come to the 2nd Part: the Sermon. This is how God works: The Spirit appears in order to fill God’s people so that Spirit-Inspired words begin to trickle, leak, flow, then gush out of them. We call those Spirit-Inspired words “Scripture” or “the Bible”.

Specifically in the passage but also generally, the power of God is transferred in these three ways relating to God’s Word:

The Preacher

The Priority

The Proclamation

The Preacher

Remember, the book of Acts is part 2 of Luke’s Gospel—both of these written to a man named Theophilus. So, if you’re reading Acts, you have to think first, “What does Luke say about Peter?” Make sense?

Get this: the name Peter is mentioned 21 times in the gospel of Luke… 9 of the last 10 times Peter’s name is referenced are in chapter 22—not exactly his best moment. What does Peter look like in Luke 22? Well, for starters...

Jesus predicts Peter will deny Him (Luke 22:31)

Peter talks big and tough saying he’ll die for Jesus, contradicting the Lord’s prediction (Luke 22:33)

Peter’s sleeping when Jesus asked him to pray (Luke 22:46)

Peter is scared of a little girl asking him if he knows Jesus (Luke 22:57)

Peter is scared to admit he knows Jesus a 2nd time (Luke 22:58)

When given a 3rd chance to get it right, he only denies Jesus again—Luke 22:60

The saddest thing, as soon as the rooster crowed, Jesus turns and looks at Peter—Luke 22:61

Our last glimpse of Peter in Luke 22 of him tucked with his tail between his legs running into the night crying like a baby (Luke 22:62)

So imagine the look on ol’ Theophilus’ face—I don’t know if he’s scratching his head or if he’s getting whiplash trying to compare the end of Luke to the beginning of Acts—but I know one thing: Peter is not the guy you’d expect to come thundering forth with the first sermon of the Church Age.

But then again, isn’t that God’s way?

Abraham was childless and wandered without land—just a cave—to call his own. But according to Romans 4, the world is his inheritance and his children are numbered as the stars in sky.

Wasn’t David the runt of the litter? David was accounted for nothing—so much so—that when the Lord’s Prophet, Samuel told Jesse, “Hey, I’m coming to Bethlehem and I want you and your sons to join me,” Jesse didn’t even bring David! But who slew the Giant? Who became King of Israel?

You see, God works this way, He chooses jars of clay, to ensure that “the excellency of the power would be Him and not in us.” (2nd Cor. 4:7)

2 Corinthians 4:7 ESV

But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.

He does it like this because His grace is sufficient, thus, He perfects His divine power in human weakness, 2nd Cor. 12:9

2 Corinthians 12:9 ESV

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Are you feeling small today? God may yet make you big tomorrow. Are you often frightened? If you are God’s holy boldness is in your future. The Lord LOVES to shame the strong with the weak and confound those wise in their own eyes with what appears foolish to them. So, I submit to you, Peter, the preacher in Acts 2, as “exhibit A”, excellent evidence, that the Power of Pentecost is present in the transformed life of whoever He chooses to use for His glory. Your transformed life wins you the stage to share the Word of God which has power to change lives around you—and the good news is, you don’t have to be a formally recognized preacher to preach.

The Priority

If God’s power is being transferred through the Word, then it makes sense that the one preaching the Word shows forth that power in a transformed life. What’s not immediately obvious is that part of the power is not only in a renewed life, but in a renewed perspective on the Scripture itself—let’s call it a new priority—namely, “Seeing Christ in all of the Scriptures”. This Christocentric or Christ-Centered lens on the Bible is a life-giving power that is sourced in the Spirit’s work to exalt Jesus at all costs and at all times. To see what I mean, I have to take you back to Luke again--

Remember that time two of Jesus’ disciples were on their way from Jerusalem to Emmaus? Luke 24 tells us they were talking about everything that had happened over the last several days, probably from the Triumphal Entry where their hopes were so high to the dashing of their hopes at the Cross of Christ, and the confusion of the empty tomb. Remember how Jesus walked up on them, and asked what they were talking about? After questioning how he could NOT know, they confessed their disappointment over how Jesus didn’t reveal Himself to be the Messiah to THEIR understanding or preference—it’s at that point that we find these words from Christ in

Luke 24:25–27 (ESV)

And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

And that’s it. For decades it disturbed me. Don’t you wish you were there? Don’t you wish Luke had recorded the sermon for us? Even just a paragraph’s worth? Cliff notes? Something! C’mon, Luke! I heard one man give his rationale: well, if we had Jesus’ sermon, everyone would judge the Apostles’ sermons against them and discredit those sermons. Its an interesting idea, but I don’t buy it because we have the Sermon on the Mount and a bunch of sermons in John’s gospel—so I don’t buy it. But here’s what I discovered:

Luke doesn’t have to give us Jesus’ word-for-word sermon using the Old Testament to point to Himself because Jesus taught the Apostles and we have a sample of their sermons in Acts. So, if you want Jesus’ sermon in Luke 24, Check out Peter’s sermon in Acts 2, Acts 4 and look at Stephen’s sermon in Acts 7; look at Paul’s sermons in Acts 13, Acts 17, and Acts 28, see how James reads the future of the Gentiles in Christ from Amos 9. Together they refer to no less than 17 OT passages are quoted and even more are alluded to. That’s more than enough to get the flavor of how the Apostles did it and enough of a clue to see how we can faithfully imitate them. Some of you remember the hulk of a resource we called “Strong’s Concordance”—remember that? Someone said you had to be STRONG just to pick it up and use it. But today, we have the internet and despite the cesspool of dissipation all over the World-Wide Web, there are dozens of great resources helping us to see how the New Testament is in the Old Testament concealed and the Old Testament is in the New Testament revealed. I can recommend a couple if you like, see me after the service if you’re interested.

But for our time, I would simply ask you to read Psalm 16 in your own time and see whether or not your New Testament eyes can see Jesus. You can see Peter’s Spirit-filled reasoning in our passage: Acts 2:29-33 and it goes something like this:

Guys, we know David was a prophet and he said God would not allow His ‘Holy One’ to see decay/corruption. Well, we know he wasn’t talking about himself, because we know where David’s tomb is and he’s still in there! He must have been talking about someone who would die and be buried but would not see decay. Guess what—I know a Man just like that: Holy, but died, was buried, but I saw this man with my own eyes—ate breakfast made from His own hand—His name is Jesus and I know He’s the One David was writing about.

The power of Pentecost is displayed in the new priority given to Christ—not merely in New Testament preaching, but revealing that Christ was always the star of the Old Testament too. Think about it: 1st Corinthians 1:18 says,

1 Corinthians 1:18 ESV

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

If we are to preach the cross because to us who are being saved, it’s the power of God, should we imagine that power is only present in the NT? There are 1189 chapters in the Bible and 929 of those chapters are in the OT!! Though the word “Cross” only appears as a verb and not as the Cross that Jesus died on—the OT is full of pictures showing the future sacrifice. If you can’t make a beeline from Abraham’s offering of “his one and only son” Isaac on a mount Moriah to the offering of Jesus on Mount Calvary, please see me after the sermon. I really want to help you.

Learning to see Christ in all of the Scriptures unleashes the power of God unto salvation in All of the Scriptures! That’s why it must be top Priority for every believer.

The Proclamation

By proclamation, I mean everything from preaching in a pulpit to sharing Christ with your youngest child or grandchild. You might have to be licensed or ordained to preach in a church, but declaring the goodness of God is the call and privilege of every believer. I don’t have time to break down every instance, but in the book of Acts specifically, see what happens whenever someone is “filled with the Spirit”. Sometimes it’s speaking in Tongues, but not always. The purpose of being filled with the Spirit is to receive God’s enablement—God’s power to be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

When you get a chance, look up Numbers 11. There’s a story there where a young man ran up to report—aka tattle-tale on two men who were prophesying in the camp. Look it up, it’s Numbers 11 from verse 18-29. The young man came up to Moses, gave his concern about the two brothers prophesying and preaching up a storm—of course, you know Joshua was Moses’ right-hand-man. He was standing right there and cried out, “Moses, stop them!” You understand? Joshua is worried, like, “Hey Moses, you have competition in the camp! Someone wants your position! You better do something those young whipper-snappers are gunning for your seat! You know what Moses said? The Bible doesn’t say that Moses grabbed Joshua by the shoulder and shook him violently—but I think that’s exactly what he did— but here’s what Moses said, “Joshua, are you jealous on my account? I wish that ALL THE LORD’S PEOPLE WERE FILLED WITH HIS SPIRIT!

You see? Moses had already been leading the people for a while now and he found out then what every minister and pastor worth their salt in the church today knows: ONE MAN CAN’T DO IT ALL. Hey, guess what—JESUS HIMSELF didn’t do it all—He appointed apostles and disciples to preach and teach not only after He left but while He was yet among them. Think of it like this: We have today, what Moses only dreamed about back then. We don’t dare go back—we have to move ahead. I hope I made my point that the proclamation is not just for the pastor, deacon, Sunday School teacher, etc. It’s for all of us—that’s the POWER of PENTECOST: a multiplying effect of those who would publish peace and declare the reign of God—GREAT is the company of them! Specifically, in our passage, I want you to see why proclamation is needed, what proclamation does and how God uses it in Acts 2.

First, why it’s needed: observe Acts 2:12-13

Acts 2:12–13 ESV

And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”

You see it? Proclamation is needed because not everyone can see the divine hand—and not everyone can perceive God’s working. Unbelievers in particular are susceptible to blaspheming God’s work or mocking it—proclamation CLARIFIES God’s work and will—calling unbelievers to repentance and protecting them from the wrath coming on those who REMAIN rebellious. Proclamation is a blessing to them.

Proclamation is also helpful to believers—the scripture tells us that all things are to be established in the company of two or three witnesses (Deut. 19:15 and 2nd Cor. 13:1). So proclamation confirms the believer’s impression: ah, ok, I thought I was alone in my understanding, but my brother sees it, and my sister sees it too… ok, I’m not just trusting myself.

The opportunity to call unbelievers to repentance or confirm believers’ reception of God truth is something we should relish—Peter did he was blessed for it.

What does proclamation do? In a phrase, it shows the hearer where they are or where they stand before God. Look at Acts 2:36

Acts 2:36 ESV

Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

This little sentence contains all the power of the previous verses, concentrated for maximal effect. Look at what Peter did: he showed the people where they were and showed them where God was—

Hey folks, you crucified Jesus but God raised Him and made Him both Lord and Christ. You see it? He told the people, “You’re in trouble, you know why? Because the guy you killed was GOD’S guy—you thought you were doing God a favor, but the guy you called blasphemer is God’s Son from Psalm 2 and Psalm 110—you’re not working for God, you worked against Him. You may have had good intentions, but you were wrong and now you better understand what you did because the Man God sent you? THAT MAN? He not only came back to life, but He’s now at the right hand of God in heaven! What do you think He’s telling God? And what do you think God will do in response?

How do I know that’s Peter’s intent? Look at verse 37 Acts 2:37

Acts 2:37 (ESV)

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?”

Now I have to challenge you because the WORD is challenging us. Cut to the heart isn’t a happy expression—it’s not warm fuzzies in your belly. These people knew Peter was right and they were out of their minds scared. And we don’t like that feeling. We’re don’t like fear, but fear is your friend if it motivates you to act with some sense. There’s a lot of people who are afraid and say, “Well, we shouldn’t push fear on the people, let’s call them to just be a better version of themselves… point them to the forgiveness of God and not the fear of God.” But friends, the Bible commands and models how we should point them to both, not forgiveness at the expense of fear or fear at the expense of forgiveness but both. You need two wings for that bird to fly—Peter alerts them to fear the Lord and the repercussions of working against God by crucifying Christ, but He also highlights the forgiveness of God see verse 38 Acts 2:38-39

Acts 2:38–39 (ESV)

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.”

God has open arms to receive anyone and everyone repenting of sin and trusting in Christ and ONLY Christ to make them righteous. But anyone coming to Him has to know they are estranged and distant first—you don’t come back to a place you never left.