Pentecost and the Coming of the Holy Spirit (2)

The Birth of the Church

Background

It is custom that we celebrate birthday’s especially our own. We may celebrate by having a birthday party, a small gathering with family, or you may choose to just sit and reflect. Remember in Genesis 40:20-22, when Pharaoh celebrated his birthday and gave a feast to all his officials. He restored the Cupbearer to his position but he hung the Chief Baker, just as Joseph had interpretated while in prison. Birthday and anniversary come from the same Hebrew root word. They are an annual event where there is a celebration or festivity marking the event. A King would celebrate this ascension to the throne annually to commemorate the event. Therefore, birthdays and anniversaries have been practiced and honored for many years.

This bible study about Pentecost is the birth of the church that we know of today. The Trinity - Father, Son, and Holy Ghost connects with Pentecost in a way that we want to dig deep in this study in hopes of having a greater understanding of the importance of the Holy Spirit. I believe this bible study will transform our way of worship and daily walk with the Father.

Jesus was on earth 40 days after his resurrection and before he ascended back to heaven.

Ten days after the ascension and 50 days after the resurrection this scripture was fulfilled mentioned by John the Baptist in Matthew 3:11 “11 I indeed baptize you with water unto 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.”

Jesus has been exalted to the right hand of God. As promised, the Father has made available the Holy Spirit for people to exercise our five senses to experience this power from the Father. The Father sending His beloved Son and giving the spirit to Him, and the Son pouring out the Spirit on His people

Pentecost shines a great light on the relationship with the Trinity. Next to the appearance of the Son of God on earth, Pentecost is the next significant event to occur in our history. It is the beginning of the church we know today

Luke cleverly use figure language to demonstrate God’s covenant promise with Israel through the gift of the Spirit. The details such as the sound, rushing wind, and fire echoes God’s appearance to Israel at Mount Sinai. The wind recalls the creative breath of God from Genesis, and the fire connects to the burning bush and the pillar of fire from Exodus.

Acts 2:1-5

Why was Pentecost important?

Jesus, before He ascended, promised that God would send the Holy Spirit. Acts 1:4–5 “4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.””

Pentecost: penʹtē̇-kost: As the name indicates (πεντηκοστή, pentēkostḗ), this second of the great Jewish national festivals was observed on the 50th day, or 7 weeks, from the Paschal Feast, and therefore in the OT it was called “the feast of weeks.”

The Paschal Feast is the Passover. The celebration was held on the night of the full moon after the spring equinox.

What was the purpose of sending the Holy Spirit?

The Holy Spirit places us in union with Christ. Beyond mission, the Spirit fulfills deeply personal functions. The Holy Spirit teaches believers all things and brings Jesus’s words to remembrance. (John 14:26) The Spirit guides believers into all truth and reveals future things. (John 16:13–14) The Spirit convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. (John 16:7–8) Believers receive the Spirit from God so they might know the things freely given to them by God. (1 Cor 2:10–12)

John 14:26 “26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” [The Holy Spirit teaches believers all things and brings Jesus’s words to remembrance.]

John 16:13–14 “13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.” [The Spirit guides believers into all truth and reveals future things.]

John 16:7–8 “7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. 8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:” [The Spirit convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment]

1 Corinthians 2:10–12 “10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.” [Believers receive the Spirit from God so they might know the things freely given to them by God]

Ephesians 1:13–14 “13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.” [Believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who supports us until the day of redemption]

Tony Evans Book of Illustrations: Stories, Quotes, and Anecdotes from More Than 30 Years of Preaching and Public Speaking Holy Spirit, Illumination Of

HOLY SPIRIT, ILLUMINATION OF

It was fully come (fulfilled/finished) and they were all with one accord in one place

Accord in one place

unanimously>of one mind

means that they were in harmony with each other. Not like a scale of balancing each other. (Important Point)

The sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting

The sound filled the house, not the wind. Luke uses this figurative of speech to illustrate the point.

This is a Theophany - a visible manifestation of God. For example in Exodus 40, when the temple was built, in verses 34-35 God covered the tabernacle in the form of a cloud and His glory filled the tabernacle.

We have in the past assumed that the wind (which we associate with the spirit) filled the house.

It appeared to them as cloven tongues like as fire. (A tongue that look like fire)

The Cloven tongues sat upon each of them. Cloven means to divide or separate. Each person in the house had what looked like tongues of fire sit upon each of them. The significance here is the distribution of a gift from God.

Got Questions? Bible Questions Answered, Volume 2 (2014–2021) What Are Cloven Tongues?

Luke is careful to say that this was not actual fire, only “what seemed to be … fire” (

Point: Before we can feel (sat upon) the Spirit, you must first hear (sound). “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing comes by the Word of God.”

Remember in Matthew 13 when Jesus was telling the parable about the Sower.

The Sower sowed the seeds (Word of God) and they fail (sat upon) on different types of ground. Some seeds didn’t catch and grow

However, Jesus says in Matthew 13:9 “9 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

The reference to wind and fire are important.

Spirit comes from the word pneuma and is related to pnoe, the word translated wind in the text.

Luke is associating the Spirit with wind and fire to illustrate the power of the Holy Spirit.

John could only baptize with water but He shall baptize you with Holy Ghost and with fire.

Acts 2:4: Two things happen after the Spirit comes to the disciples.

They are filled with the Holy Spirit

Does anything happen in life when you are not filled by the Holy Spirit?

No! You lack wisdom and to a certain point of competence is low.

Look at what happens to the seven sons of Sceva when we are not filled by the Holy Spirit. Acts 19:13-16

Acts 19:13–16 NKJV

13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” 14 Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so. 15 And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?” 16 Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

Let’s look at when the Spirit of God according to scripture first filled a person.

Bezalel and Aholiab were the first individuals where the scripture explicitly identifies as being filled with God’s Spirit.

They were not prophets nor Jewish patriarchs. God filled them with His Spirit to give them wisdom, understanding, and skills to build.

In the OT, God literally distributed His spirit upon people to do special things. Like Saul, when they disobeyed Him, God took away His spirit.

Exodus 31:3 “and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship,”

What happens when you are filled with the Holy Spirit?

Gaps are closed or reduced in your life.

Allows a person to reach full capacity.

Acts 1:8 “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.””

Notice the setting. They are tarrying for the Holy Ghost in an upper room in Jerusalem.

This place where they hated and killed Jesus. Now you are asking us to tarry and wait for the Holy Spirit.

Then you are sending us to get along with the people in Samaria, whom Jews hate

Then you are sending us to places in the world we have never been (uttermost part of the earth)

Point: This is a promise for those who believe. This shows the power and unity of the Trinity. With the Holy Spirit, the Spirit removes your limitations. The Holy Spirit leads, convicts, teaches, and prepares you to accomplish things that you could not do in your normal way of life.

They begin to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave utterance

Since the Spirit gives utterance then it’s a part of their worship in the text.

These tongues are different from the Gift of Tongues in 1 Corinthians 12-14.

The gift of tongues in 1 Corinthians was for praising God, and the speaker is speaking to God. And if there was no interrupter it would turn off the unbeliever.

The tongues mentioned in this text, we see that everyone was able to understand because they were on one accord and in one place. They are speaking to each other in their own language (Verse 6), and it was the door to gain the unbeliever.

This is the third sign of the Spirit because here the Spirit is manifested. Reference from Acts 1:8 “8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.””

First Sign was rushing mighty wind

Second Sign was Cloven tongues as of fire

Acts 2:6-8

Now what caused the multitude to come together in verse 6?

When this was noised abroad (sound occurred) (referring to the sound in verse 2 and tongues in verse 3). The people heard!

Q. What happens when you speak and your heart is not aligned with the Spirit of God?

The scripture (Matthew 12:34-37) teaches that what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart.

Ephesians 4:29 “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.”

In verse 6, we see a miracle, therefore, when we speak and our heart is not aligned with the Holy Spirit, we miss out on miracles in our lives.

1 Kings 17:8-16 is when the widow of Zarephath aligned her faith with the Prophet Elijah’s instruction provide food for him first. She was blessed

This is why I believe we must look deeply at this text and understand the importance of first allowing yourself to HEAR first.

James 1:19 “19 So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;”

Proverbs 18:2 “2 A fool has no delight in understanding, But in expressing his own heart.”

Proverbs 10:19 “19 In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who restrains his lips is wise.”

Q. If the apostles and disciples who had walked with Jesus, witness his death and resurrection, and they were told to wait until the Holy Spirit come, then if they needed Him then how much more do you and I need Him in our lives?

Q. What kind of noise is the church making today?

Are we being led by the Spirit?

Are we meeting people where they are? Or are we aligning ourselves with others?

This lessons says that they were on one accord and in one place.

Are we talking the same language?

Remember the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11:1-9. When God command man to increase and fill the earth, the people began to build a tower in an effort would reach heaven. And therefore, God confused man’s language and scattered the people. They built the tower to praise themselves and to make a name for themselves. Warren Wiersbe says that Pentecost is the reversal of the judgement at the Tower of Babel. Pentecost brought praise to God.

The LORD caused them to speak different languages so that they could not understand each other. Stopping their efforts with the Tower. The LORD caused language to be a barrier at Babel as a form of judgement.

Point: In the text, with the Spirit leading and guiding, language was not a barrier because they were building God’s kingdom and not their own. Matthew Henry says that Christian Religion could have made no progress without the gift of the Holy Spirit, and proves that the authority on Pentecost was from God.

Acts 2:11-13

proselytes:

Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 11.54 προσήλυτος, ου

a Gentile who had converted to Judaism—‘Jewish convert, proselyte.’ Ἰουδαῖοί τε καὶ προσήλυτοι ‘both Jews and proselytes’

The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament 4339. προσήλυτος prosḗlutos

religion (

How did the people respond to this new phenomenon (Holy Spirit)?

V. 12, All Amazed and in Doubt saying (What does all of this means?) They wanted to know and understand more of what was happening

Compare Acts 2:7 “7 Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans?”

Compare Acts 2:12 “12 So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “Whatever could this mean?””

V. 13, Others mocked them saying they were full of new wine.

Similarities -

They were all amazed after hearing them speak

Amazed - difficulty of expressing yourself; awe; astonished; dumbfounded

Key Differences -

Verse 7 - They marvelled, saying one to another. Are not all these speak Galilaeans? Marveled - to be filled with wonder or astonishment. These were filled with the Holy Spirit

Verse 12 - They doubted, saying one to another. What is the meaning of this? Doubt - to not know what to do; perplexed; very confused. These had not been filled with the Holy Spirit yet.

2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV 1900) Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

We have to ensure our observation are aligned with God’s Expectations

Mocking

Mocking - to scoff (jeer); joke

This is why bible study for us is so important.

Full of New Wine:

Ephesians 5:18 NLT

18 Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit,

When a man is filled with strong drink, he loses control of himself and ends up being ashamed.

When a man is filled with the Holy Spirit, the spirit has control and glorifies God. And brings a satisfaction and lasting joy.

Discussion: How can the same words from God inspire others to come together, and speak with different tongues, and be understood, but with some people, they cannot seem to understand? {Lack guidance from the Spirit of God}

Spiritually insensitive - 1 Corinthians 2:14 “14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

Miraculous Gift of receiving the Holy Spirit

English Standard Version Chapter 10

The Holy Spirit Falls on the Gentiles