Sermon Tone Analysis

This morning we are picking back up in our study of the book of Acts.

If you’re new to MCF, it would be good for you to know that we practice a form of preaching called “Expository Preaching”.

What that means is we believe the Bible is best taught by taking books of the Bible and then studying them from beginning to end, chapter by chapter, verse by verse, in order to understand what the Bible means in our lives today.

With that said, we’ve recently started a new study in the book of Acts.

In fact, we just finished up chapter 1 and started chapter 2 last week.

So, if you are new, you’ve come at a great time, and just to make sure we are all up to speed, let me begin this morning by giving us all a quick recap of what’s brought us to this point.

You may recall, Luke kicked chapter 2 off with the coming of the Holy Spirit.

An event that Jesus promised would take place.

In Luke records the words and promise of Jesus.

He writes:

Jesus says to his disciples, “Before you go anywhere or do anything, you need to wait for the Holy Spirit?”

So, who is the Holy Spirit and why do they need to wait?

Well, as we’ve learned, the Holy Spirit is our spiritual Helper and part of the godhead.

And His purpose is to empower the disciples for the mission Jesus gave them.

We know this because in , Jesus tells us this.

In verse 8 He says:

Jesus says when the Holy Spirit comes, the disciples will receive a supernatural power that will enable them to take the Gospel to the entire world.

A supernatural power that will equip them with spiritual gifts needed to witness and lead people to Jesus.

Paul lists some of these gifts in .

He writes:

Paul says to those empowered by the Spirit, each will receive unique gifts that will help them witness Jesus to others.

The question then is, how does this apply to us?

And what we’ve learned is it applies in the exact same way.

Because the fact of the matter is, the mission of gospel advancement continues today.

We know this for two reasons.

First, because with over 7 billion people on planet earth, 2 billion have never heard about Jesus, and another 3 billion have heard but have not believed.

Second,

First, there are currently 7 billion people on planet earth.

Of that 7 billion, 2 billion have never heard about Jesus, and another 3 billion may have heard, but have not believed.

Second, before he ascended into heaven, Jesus told his disciples that one day he would return.

And according to the book of Revelation, when Jesus returns, the end will come, and those who haven’t put their faith in Jesus will be eternally separated from God.

All that to say, the mission will officially be over when Jesus returns, and he hasn’t returned yet.

That being the case, we have a lot of work to do before that happens.

Because, like the first disciples we have a mission to accomplish, and like the first disciples we need the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to help us.

So, that’s how it applies to us.

And that’s why is so important, because as the disciples wait for the Spirit to come, beginning in chapter 2, the promised Spirit comes.

And as we learned last week, when the Spirit came it was quite a moment.

In fact, it was one of those moments that caught everybody off guard.

says it happened Suddenly.

Luke writes, “And suddenly...”

“And suddenly...” It’s the idea that

It’s the idea that something abruptly or without warning took place.

So, what took place?

Luke tells us.

Continuing in verse 2 he writes:

Acts 2:

Luke says in the moment the Holy Spirit came, three supernatural signs combined at once.

Three signs that represent a fulfillment of prophecy and the beginning of a new era.

An era called “The Church Era”.

Last week we looked at two of those signs.

The first sign was the sound of God’s presence.

Luke says, “...there came from heaven a sound like a might rushing wind, and it filled the entire house.”

And what we learned is this wasn’t wind at all.

In this passage the word Luke uses for wind comes from a Hebrew word found in .

It’s a word that refers to the life giving breath of God that breathed life into Adam’s nostrils.

What that means then is the wind they heard was the life giving presence of God as it left heaven and entered that room.

And Luke says it was a presence that could be felt.

The second sign was the symbol of his anointing.

Luke says as the presence of God filled the room, “divided tongues as of fire appeared and rested on each of them.”

And what we learned is that the fire represented not only the physical presence of God, but the symbol of his anointing.

We know this because in we see something similar as King Solomon dedicates the temple.

Listen to how the writer describes the temple dedication:

The writer says in that moment, God anointed the temple as fire fell from heaven, entered the temple, and consumed it.

And now the temple was ready for ministry.

In , we see the same thing happening, but now it’s not a physical temple God is anointing.

In the church era, we are the temple of God’s presence.

The Apostle Paul explains it like this:

Paul says we are the new temple God now dwells in us.

And in we see the physical representation of God now anointing and empowering those He’s called for ministry.

We also know this represents God’s anointing because it’s how Jesus was anointed for ministry.

In a very similar way, at the beginning of His earthly ministry God anointed and empowered Jesus for ministry.

It happened in following His water baptism.

In that moment God poured His Spirit out upon Jesus and empowered him for the work He was called to.

Luke records the event like this.

In he writes:

And in that moment Jesus was anointed and empowered for ministry.

The Apostle Peter refers to this moment in .

In Peter says:

All that to say, after His water baptism, God anointed and empowered Jesus with the Holy Spirit for ministry.

And now in , Jesus is doing exactly the same thing for his disciples.

In this moment Jesus is anointing them and empowering them with the Holy Spirit for the work of ministry.

In fact, John the baptist said this is what Jesus would do.

In John the baptist says:

So, the question then is, “How do these two signs apply to you and me?”

And again, what we learned is they apply in the same way.

Because in the same way that Jesus anointed and empowered those 120 disciples in that room that day, He wants to anoint and empower us as well.

Jesus wants to give us everything we need to do what He’s called us to do.

So, what has Jesus called us to do?

Well, as we’ve said all along, He wants us to spread the Gospel to the entire world.

He wants us to continue the mission.

Which leads us to the third sign that was present that day.

A sign that symbolizes two important parts of spreading the Gospel.

First, this sign symbolizes the heart of God for all people.

And second, it symbolizes the empowerment God has given us to accomplish the mission.

So, what’s the sign?

Well, as the sound of God’s presence enters the room, as the symbol of his anointing rests upon them, a third sign takes place.

A sign we’re going to call:

The Symbol of Spirit Empowered Witness

The sign we are referring to in is a sign known as “tongues.”

Listen again to what Luke says happens as God’s presence fills the room and his anointing falls upon the disciples.