The Church Section II: Session 1

The Church and its beginnings

The Book of Acts

There are two books recorded as being written by Luke.

One of course is his Gospel.

The other is the book of Acts

In Acts 1:1 “In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach,”

It tells us that is what the Gospel of Luke dealt with.

Acts, however, is an account tells the things that the risen Lord did via the Holy Spirit.\

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH

They responded in faith to Christ’s global mission

Acts 1:6 “So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?””

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

They were thinking small - about Israel

The Lord was thinking big - the whole world.

They were thinking about the past and restoring it.

He was thinking about the present and redeeming it.

They were thinking defensively.

He was thinking offensively.

Obviously the disciples caught the Saviour’s vision.

Romans 1:8 “First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world.”

Colossians 1:23 “if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.”

Every generation must reach the world for Christ.

We have the same Great Commission today.

For it is even “to the end of the age”

2. They waiting on the Holy Spirit “until” Pentecost was “fully come”.

Acts 2:1-13

LET’S CONSIDER WHAT HAPPENED AT PENTECOST

It was a reversal of Babel - Genesis 11

Babel was to make “A NAME” for themselves

Pentecost was about the proclamation of “HIS NAME”

Babel was where the languages were confounded by God.

Pentecost saw everyone hearing in their own language Acts 2:6 “And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language.”

At Babel they forced to spread out because they could not undertand each other.

At Pentecost they came together.

2. It was a reversal of Sinai - Exodus 32

At the giving of the law there were about 3000 men slain under the curse of a broken law.

Exodus 32:28 “And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And that day about three thousand men of the people fell.”

Paul refers to this is 2 Corinthians 3:7 “Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end,”

But at the proclamation of Acts 20:24 “But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.”

What Paul also refers to as the 2 Corinthians 3:8 “will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory?”

How many were saved?

Acts 2:41 “So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.”

3. It was a complete fulfillment of the Feast of Pentecost

Leviticus 23:15 ““You shall count seven full weeks from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering.”

On the Jewish calendar, Pentecost represented the beginning of the harvest.

Acts 2 was the beginning of a MIGHTY HARVEST.

It was all a result of the “grain of wheat” falling into the ground and dying. Without there would be no harvest.

John 12:24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”

Now I want us to all notice a lovely connection here between the picture and the actuality.

PENTECOST IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

Notice - two loaves of leavened bread made one offering by the pouring out of the holy oil

PENTECOST IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

Two become one: Jew and Gentile by the pouring out of the Holy Spirit

Acts 2:18 “even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.”

4. It was a partial fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy

Joel 2:28–32 ““And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit. “And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls.”

It was partial as there was only a partial turning of the Jewish nation to God.

There is a day when Romans 11:26 “And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”;”

after 2/3 of the nation is destroyed by the anti messiahs forces

Then Joel 2 will be completely fufilled.

It is important to note that this promise is NOT TO GENTILE BELIEVERS.

Sometimes people use it to justify the modern charasmatic movement.

But that would be to use it out of context.

The use of tongues at Pentecost Acts 2:8 “And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language?”

was a sign to Israel 1 Corinthians 1:22 “For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom,”

It was a judgement - proving that God could not only speak HEBREW

He was now going to the whole world.

5. It was the BIRTHDAY of the Church

As the diciplies waiting in obedience to the word of the Lord

The Holy Spirit came down as promised

Acts 1:4 “And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me;”

1 Corinthians 12:13 “For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.”

120 believers went into the room and one body came out - united forever by the Spirit.