What Have We Learned from Acts 1-7?

God Kept His Promise To Send His Spirit (Acts 2:1-13)

God made a promise in the Old Testament that He would pour out his Spirit on His people. God promised in Ezekiel 36:26-27, “26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will place my Spirit within you and cause you to follow my statutes and carefully observe my ordinances.” In the following chapter God said, “14 I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live (Ezekiel 37:14).”

In Joel 2:28-29, God promised, “ I will pour out my Spirit on all humanity; then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your old men will have dreams, and your young men will see visions. 29 I will even pour out my Spirit on the male and female slaves in those days.”

Jesus told his disciples that when he leaves, that is when he ascends into heaven, He will “ ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever (John 14:16). He also said, “18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you. 19 In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Because I live, you will live too. 20 On that day you will know that I am in my Father, you are in me, and I am in you…and that the Father will send the Holy Spirit in My name to teach you all things (John 14:18-20, 26).”

Luke records Jesus’s final words to His disciples, a promise, “ look, I am sending you what my Father promised. As for you, stay in the city until you are empowered from on high.” Luke clarifies that promsie in Acts 1:5, 8, “ 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit in a few days...you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

The Baptism of the Spirit is the work John said Jesus would do in Mark 1:8, “I have baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” The Baptism of the Holy Spirit, says, Wayne Grudem, is the work the Spirit does in very beginning of the Christian life that regenerates your heart (gives it life) and cleanses you and gives you a clean break from the power and love of sin.

Its a work that is done before conversion to help your conversion. Keep in mind we are all dead in our trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:3). Dead people cannot respond to anything. God sends His Spirit to give us life, to regenerate our hearts so that we can have eyes to see and ears to hear. We can’t respond to the gospel otherwise. Isn’t that why when you pray for unbelievers you ask God to open their heart to hear the truth? Give them eyes to see their need for a Savior? Draw them to Yourself? That is all the work of the work of the Spirit. He comes to open your eyes to see your need for Jesus. And when we profess Christ and ask Him to come into our hearts you are Baptized in the Spirit, that is He comes to live in you as Jesus promised. Pentecost is the first fulfillment of God’s promise to dwell in His people.

In Acts 2:1-13, God’s Spirit swoops down and rests on His people. They begin speaking in the tongues of the nations and everyone who hears them, can hear the glories of God in their own language. People ask, “What in the world is going on?” Peter explains to them by preaching our of Joel 2:28-32 and Psalm 16:8-11, that what they are seeing is God keeping His promsie to give His people His Spirit .

God is faithful to keep His promises no matter the cost. When He made the promise in Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Joel to pour out His Spirit on us, He knew in order to keep that promise it was going to cost Him His Son. The only way for God’s Spirit to come and live inside of us sinners who are dead in our trespasses and sins, is for His Son to die as a holy sacrifice in our place giving us a clean break from the power and love of sin. Jesus knew this was the plan. You see that in the context of John 14. Jesus was explaining to his disciples that he must away and prepare a place for them. he said in 4:18, “18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you. 19 In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Because I live, you will live too.” Jesus knew he had to die and be raised from the dead in order for the Father to keep His promise.

Do you know what God tells me when I think about everything it took for God to keep his promise to pour out His Spirit? It tells me and you that God is all in. He is absolute committed to you. He is committed to saving you, changing you, using you, and sealing you in His kingdom for all eternity. The last words Jesus said to His disciples after commissioning them to go to the nations is, “Know that I am always with you.”

Dan Crawford, the successor to David Livingstone, carried a copy of the New Testament in the pocket of his jacket. At the time of his death someone found the following verses penned on the flyleaf of that well-worn Book: “I cannot do it alone! The waves dash fast and high; the fog comes chill around, and the light goes out in the sky. But I know that we two shall win in the end—Jesus and I. Coward and wayward and weak, I change with the changing sky; today so strong and brave, tomorrow too weak to fly. But He never gives up, so we two shall win—Jesus and I!”

I can relate to Dan Crawford’s poem. I am weak. he is strong. I have a short memory. He never forgets His promises. I grow cold and unbelieving and unfaithful. God is always faithful. Pentecost is proof of His commitment to us. I can know for sure Jesus is always with me because He is in me.

God Sent His Spirit to Manifest His Presence On Earth, Especially in the Church.

The military has a term called “Cutting off the head of the snake.” Its a battle strategy that removes the enemy leader first so as to weaken the rest of the enemy’s army. The idea is if the leader is not there to lead, then the army will be ineffective to fight.

Sometimes I feel like the church operates as if the enemy has “cur off the head of the snake” so too speak. In Acts 1, Jesus leaving appears to look like the churches “head” has been cut off. Acts 2, however reveals that Jesus kept His promsie to not leave us as orphans. Church, do not fear nor be dismayed. The church is not dead because Christ is not dead. The book of Acts is proving to you that Jesus is very much alive and still working to joyfully advance his kingdom. And so far in our study of Acts, we see the Holy Spirit manifesting Himself in six ways.

The Holy Spirit Manifest His Presence in The Life of the Church.

Pentecost is the birth of the church. It’s when the Church comes alive. That is what makes the church special. We are not an institution governed by ideology, political theory, or wordly philosophy. We have been made alive by the Spirit of God and are governed by His rule His living and active word which is fully sufficient and inerrant.

It;s the Spirit of God that gives life to the Church. Jesus told Nicodemus that he must be “born again” to enter the kingdom of God (John 3:6-7). Jesus also said that it is the “Spirit who gives life (John 6:63).” Life in this context is first and foremost eternal life. But the word of God is clear that Jesus came to give us life now, abundant life, and that our life in Him is meant to be lived out one earth. Jesus reveals His abundant life in the life of the church.

At Pentecost, the disciples were “filled with the Spirit” and began to proclaim, testify of God’s gift of eternal life in Jesus. After Peter was done preaching, thousand were saved and entered the kingdom of God. Being filled with the Spirit, Peter healed a man lame from birth (3:6). Being filled with the Spirit, they were casting out demons (5:12-16).

His Spirit did not reveal His presence in the life of the church with only signs and wonders. He revealed His presence in the life of the church by providing the sustenance of life for the community. The church was the epicenter of care for anyone and everyone. Those who were hungry were able to get food. Those who were thirsty were able to get something to drink. Those who needed needed clothes were given robes and tunics. Those who needed a roof were given a place to stay. Those who were sick were healed (Acts 2:41-47; 5:12-16).

The church is supposed to be the epicenter of life in the community. Where the church exists, abundant life should exist.

I lament that we live in a culture of death. We have laws that allow babies to be killed out of inconvenience. Families are dying left an right to no fault divorce. Our neighbors are nothing more than commodities that an be used for a while and then thrown away. And when our elderly or disabled become too much to handle euthanasia becomes humane. Today our nation is literally burning down because we cannot look each other in the eye and accept each other on the fundamental basis that all of us are created in God’s image. There’s no space for that in our society right now. But there should be space for it in the church.

We know every act of injustice on this earth is worthy of hell. Every act of racial injustice across the board is worthy of hell. Every act of the injustice of exploiting the poor is worthy of hell. Violence against women and children is worthy of hell. Hell is the second the death for everyone who sins against the justice of God. You cannot escape the death of hell on your own. There is no man made solution to that problem. That is why our nation has seen no solutions to the racial divide in our country. The government cannot reconcile the races. Our culture of death cannot reconcile the races. They do to have the means nor the space to do it.

The cross is the only place in heaven and earth where justice and mercy comes together completely intact to reconcile sinners to God and each other. Absolute justice and perfect mercy can be satisfied, experienced, given, and received at the cross of Jesus Christ. Every sin of injustice, no matter how grievous, can be satisfied with the justice of God’s wrath and salvation on His Son. Every person, Red, Yellow, Black or White, can experience Justice being served to its fullest and mercy being offered and received in its finest at the cross. The cross has the means to reconcile the races.

Where does George Floyd's family find the justice they deserve and need? Where does Derek Chauvin find mercy? Where is the only space on earth where both of these families can find reconciliation, restoration,a redemption? It’s in the Spirit giving life of the church. The church is the space where our community can find life; for the races, for our marriages, our families, the poor, the disabled, for everyone who suffers injustice and in need of mercy.

The Holy Spirit Reveals His Presence in The Power of the Church

One my favorite stories in the bible is the story of Gideon. I love the way God works with broken cowardly people. I can relate to those people, and how God uses Gideon gives me so much confidence to think big and live big for God.

In Judges 6, Gideon is hiding in a wine vat like a coward. But God does not see him that way. He calls him, “The Lord is with you Valiant Warrior (Judges 6:12).” God tells him to go and deliver his people. Gideon gives him all these excuses of how he is so weak and can’t do it. God. God says nonsense, I’l be with you. Then comes my favorite verse

Judges 6:34 HCSB

The Spirit of the Lord took control of Gideon, and he blew the ram’s horn and the Abiezrites rallied behind him.

The rest is history. Gideon was a coward, and he was right. He was weak and inadequate for the job of delivering God’s people. But God loves to take weak ordinary people who the world discounts and use them for His extraordinary work. Why? Because weak cowardly people perform extraordinary feats, it makes the world stop and look at the heavens. God reveals himself by exercising his power through weak people in the world. Pentecost, the first seven chapters of Acts reveal that God is going to reveal himself through all his people, not just a few at a time.

The Spirit reveals His presence in the power of the church four ways.

He reveals himself in the power of signs and wonders.

Sign and wonders are acts that are outside the realm of human ability. They are miraculous. These signs and wonders of heaven.

When the Holy Spirit shows up, the people begin speaking in a foreign tongue. Everyone who is listening understands what is being said. Its a miracle. Throughout the first even chapters, the apostles and Stephen are doing many great signs and wonders like healing disabled people, casting our demons, and others things like it that are not mentioned. They are performing extraordinary miracles that cannot be explained by human reasoning. They reveal God’s work, his presence, his power. He shows us that we are not alone and we are not nearly as cool as we think we are.

When Jesus came to earth he proved he was God with signs and wonders. He healed the sick. He castes out demons. He fed thousands of people with only a few loaves and a couple of fish. He told the sea to calm down and the wind to be quiet. He walked on water and He raised the dead. Jesus used signs and wonders to validate and confirm his message; I have come to save you. Repent and believe the gospel.

The Holy Spirit does the same thing through us. He will sometimes use miraculous signs and wonders to make the point that man cannot save or heal or deliver himself. We need God.

Does it still happen today? Absolutely. I cannot help but be convinced that the Spiritual gifts are still of the church today because the scriptures seem clear to me that they remain and are to be pursued. Paul told the Corinthians church to, “Pursue love and desire spiritual gifts, and above all that you may prophesy (1 Corinthians 14:1).” Paul could have the Corinthian church, who was immature and misusing the spiritual gifts, that they should not pursue them because they will be gone with the apostles. Instead, he encourages them to continue seeking them. We should should earnestly seek them so that God would make His name known to all the world.

He reveals Himself through power His testimony.

Jesus told his disciples that they would be empowered to testify. The testimony is the gospel message. As soon as Pentecost happens, the Spirit of God empowers Peter to stand up and preach the first sermon of the Church. Despite opposition, Peter and John were empowered to testify before the Pharisees and Scribes the resurrection of Jesus. Stephen, filled with the Spirit, preach boldly to his people their need to repent and trust in Christ, even at the cost of his own life.

God’s word is living an active, sharper than any two edge sword; piercing through the division of soul and spirit, joints and marrow discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. When it is spoken, it will not return void. The Spirit empowers the gospel message to effectively to plant in the hearts of people God is drawing to Himself. When Peter is done preaching it says that the church grew to over 3,000 people and tat he Lord added to it every day.

That is why FBCL is committed without apology to the exegetical preaching of God’s fully sufficient and inerrant word. It will be valued and taught in the pulpit and classroom with the authority is derives from the Lord.

He reveals Himself through the power of His gifts to the Church.

The gifts are evidence of the Spirit's work in the life of the believer. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, “4 Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are different ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are different activities, but the same God works all of them in each person. 7 A manifestation of the Spirit is given to each person for the common good: 8 to one is given a message of wisdom through the Spirit, to another, a message of knowledge by the same Spirit, 9 to another, faith by the same Spirit, to another, gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another, the performing of miracles, to another, prophecy, to another, distinguishing between spirits, to another, different kinds of tongues, to another, interpretation of tongues. 11 One and the same Spirit is active in all these, distributing to each person as he wills.”

Throughout the first seven chapters of Acts, the Holy Spirit equips the church for the ministry of the saints. Aside from the apostles preaching and teaching, you see Stephen likely healing and casting our demons. This tells us that the ministry of the church is not limited to the apostles or pastors. The Holy Spirit indwells all God’s people.

Paul says in Ephesians that Jesus gifted the church apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness (Ephesian 4:11-13).” God has given each believer gifts to equip the church to do ministry.

An example of this is seen Acts chapter 6. The Hellenist widows were being neglected the apostles realized that the church needed more leadership. They suggested the church chooses seven qualified men from the congregation to serve the physical needs of the church. After the church chose those men, the apostles ordained them by praying over them and laying on hands. These men were filled with the Spirit. They were wise and able to do the work needed.

Every one of you is equipped by the Holy Spirit to do the work of ministry. Some of you are gifted to teach. You need to teach. Some of you are gifted to be an evangelist. All of us called t share the gospel, bu some of you have a deep passion to help others do it well. You should do it. Some of you men are called to be elders. We need your leadership.

He reveals himself through His power in our prayers.

The bible tells us that we do know how to pray, bu that the Spirit of God intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words (Romans 8:26). The Spirit gives us access to the Father according to Ephesians 2:18. The Spirit helps our prayers be right and effective.

Look at how the early church prayed in Acts 4:23-31. They first acknowledged God is sovereign and good. Then they prayed for boldness to preach the gospel at all cost. God was so pleased with their prayer, that he shook the ground (4:31). God answers their prayer in Acts 5:17-42. Peter and John preach boldly, get arrested, testify boldly, and then are flogged and let go. The church was filled with the Spirit when they prayed, and Peter and John were filled with the Spirit when they preached and were persecuted.

Look at Stephen in Acts 7. He was filled with the Spirit as he preached to his people. As he is being stoned, he was filled with the Spirit as he prayed, “Lord do not charge them with this sin.” the power of prayer is Spirit empowered. God reveals himself in how we pray and how He uses those prayers to advance his kingdom.

At FBCL, we pray that God would help our prayers be bible saturated, Christ exalting, missions minded, and God honoring. we recognize we cannot pray well on our own. We need the Holy Spirit to empower our prayers.

He reveals Himself through His sustaining power in persecution.

In our study so far, we have seen three acts of violence against the church. The apostles arrested, imprisoned, and beaten for the faith. Stephen was stoned becoming the first martyr of the church. In every case, they church responded in a way that was contrary to what the world expected.

Look at Acts 5:40-41. The apostles received a beating for following Jesus. According to Deuteronomy 25:3, they can only be flogged with forty lashes. Jewish custom was to give 39 in order to ensure they would not break the law. It was also custom to give one third of the lashes on the chest and two-thirds on the back. Even though they were delivered, the apostles still suffered at the hands of captures jealous rage. How did they respond?

They responded with joy. They praised God. This is a gift of the Holy Spirit. Natural human beings do not rejoice in their suffering. Common sense says it is wise to avoid suffering because 1) it hurts 2) there isn't much in this world worth the agony. The Holy Spirit empowers us see that Jesus is supremely worth it.

The reason why they rejoice is because they suffered for the name of Jesus.It was an honor to them to suffer in the same manner Jesus suffered. It was counted as worthy to be identified with Jesus before their enemies. Their suffering spurred them on to continue offering the words of life in the temple complex-with the threat of persecution hanging over their every word.

Look also at Stephen. How did Stephen respond to his stoning? He first accepted it. He looked into heaven and asked Jesus to receive his soul. Second, he prayed for his persecutors. Instead of indicting them, he asked for them to be forgiven. In Stephens prayer as he is dying we see the sustaining power of the Holy Spirit in the midst of hardship.

This morning we see that God is a faithful God who keep His promises, even at great personal cost to Himself. He sent His Spirit after he sent His Son to die like a criminal on your behalf. And by faith if you accept his Son’s gift of salvation he will send His Spirit to live inside you. As he lives inside you, he manifest his presence on earth, especially in the church. He reveal himself in the church by bringing life to the church and through the church toward the community. The church creates the space where those who need justice and mercy find it at the cross in oder to be reconciled to God and each other.

We also see Spirit of God revealing himself in the power of the church. Sometimes it is seen in signs and wonders like miraculous healing and casting out demons. It is always seen in the preaching and teaching of His inerrant and fully sufficient word in the pulpit and the classroom. It is experienced in the community of believers working in unity to make the church effective in ministry through their gifting. God’s Spirit is revealed in our prayers and their effectiveness as we pray for God’s kingdom to joyfully advance by making much of Jesus in the church, community, and home. Finally, God reveals His presence, maybe most effectively in our lives, when we suffer for His name sake and rejoice and pray for our persecutors to be saved. When we say Jesus is supremely worth the beating, the slandering, the violence, and we bless them, the world sees God.

Does this describe our church?