Rescued For What?
Acts 2:1-24; 36-41

1.     INTRO: My near death drug experience led me to ask “Is this the kind of life I want?”  I was so empty but I couldn’t fill myself.

Ø    Why did I survive?  It’s a question asked by survivors of 9/11, cancer victims, the tsunami in Asia, etc.  It even has a name; survivor guilt.

Ø    Anybody here been in a situation where you asked “Why did I survive?”  What kind of answer did you come up with, if any?

Ø    Interestingly, it ought to be asked of those who are rescued from death by God, but usually is not.  Let’s ask today.

Ø    Farber: education to what purpose?  What am I preparing for if the world has no universal telos?

Ø    The answers to “why me and not someone else” is unanswerably lost in the infinity of God’s wisdom.  The “why me, for what purpose” question can be answered like this, I believe:

Ø    I was rescued to live for God’s glory; be filled w/His Spirit, & extend t/reach & depth of his rule.

2.     Scripture, Acts 2:1-24; 36-41

Ø    That the question “why was I rescued” is central to this passage may not be immediately obvious, but the point of a Savior/Christ is to rescue from a death that is both living and eternal.

3.     Points of Understanding

A.    Last Days

Ø    Pentecost was 50 days after firstfruits which was one week after Passover which was also Holy Week.  People had made a pilgrimage from all over the known world, and many would stay from Passover though Pentecost.

Ø    Using Joel, Peter is explaining that the promised Spirit of the last days, the new covenant, had been poured out.  Salvation had arrived for all who sought it from God.

Ø    We are still in the last days begun that day and ending on The Day of the Lord.

B.    The Pouring Out of - Baptism in - the Holy Spirit

Ø    This is not same as 1Cor. tongues as here no interpreter is needed.

Ø    Pentecost HS filling (pour, fill, receive; and foretold in 1:5 as baptized with) for salvation ministry (similar synonyms used in Peter-Cornelius episodes; came on, poured out, received; came on, baptized with)

Ø    The baptism of the Spirit means that I belong to His body; the fullness of the Spirit means that my body belongs to Him. The baptism is final; the fullness is repeated.

Ø    The Spirit’s baptism occurs once for each believer at the moment of salvation (Rom. 6:3; 1 Cor. 12:13), but the Spirit’s filling will occur  on a number of occasions after salvation.

4.     Reason I Survived

Ø    If you survived spiritual death, it’s because God loves you and wanted to rescue you, but not just from a dead life that leads to a dead eternity, but also for membership in His Kingdom.

Ø    It is the HS that empowers our witness for service in building God’s Kingdom and then removes obstacles.

A.    Empowered Kingdom Building

Ø    Joel’s prophecy said the Holy Spirit would be given for prophetic work.  What was that work?  Take the Word of God to those who need it.

Ø    The apostles immediately put the gift into service.  How did the crowd hear, they made some noise & went out into the streets.

B.    Removing Obstacles

Ø    God makes the plans and then amazes us as we participate.  He removes what we saw as obstacles, sometimes making the very obstacle the greatest opportunity.  The language barrier and refusal to believe made the grounds for the miracle, which lead to deep repentance, and then the language obstacle was revealed as a missions bonanza.

5.     Talk Is So Cheap

Ø    Why were they cut to the heart?  Was it because they realized they had been living life backwards and had rejected the only real hope of real life and eternal life?

Ø    Have we?  What are we living for, really?  Are we cut to the heart, aching to throw off empty lives spent on selfish pleasures to instead be filled up by the Spirit?  This is repentance.

Ø    We have been baptized into Christ by the Holy Spirit, but to what extent are we full of the HS?

Ø    If we are to have and pursue a purpose in life that is worthy of our lives – the Kingdom of God, while maintaining joy and energy we must be filled with the Spirit, now and continually.

Ø    I believe God is pleading with me and with you; “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”

Ø    3000 did so that day.

Ø    There is no need for you to wait if you have not begun a relationship with Jesus and received His Holy Spirit.

Ø    What is the meaning of life?  Why has God rescued you?

Ø    You were meant to make God’s name look great by being filled with the Spirit now and as often as necessary to dramatically change the world by extending the reach and depth of His Kingdom.

6.     Invite:

Ø    Announce question opportunity after prayer

Ø    Conclude with an extensive time of prayer