Praying through Acts- Chapter 2

Acts 2:46–47 NKJV

46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

As we gather for what I believe is the most important service of our week, I want to keep in mind that we are [Praying through Acts]. Tonight, we will pray through chapter two.

When I traveled as an evangelist, my brother and friends had a joke in Oklahoma. Daniel is preaching, get ready to turn to Acts 2. It never offended me, because Acts 2 just might be on my favorite chapters.

In the life of Jesus, there are three pivotal days:

Christmas

Easter

Pentecost

I heard someone ask the question recently, which one is the most important?

Without Christmas, we would not have Easter. But without Easter, the plan of God that started on Christmas would have remained incomplete. Then, we add in Pentecost to the mix.

Which is most important?

I had a thought about that and noticed something I have not seen before. When we look at these three important dates on the calendar, I want us to notice all THREE members of the Trinity.

Christmas— the Father loved us so much to send His Son

Easter— the Son was willing to die and is alive

Pentecost— the Holy Spirit is active in the church

I know I speak of the Holy Spirit often. I know I reference Him in nearly every message, but there is a reason.

When we read the Old Testament the focus is God in heaven and people on earth.

The gospels tell a new story, God in flesh walked on earth with us through the Person of Jesus Christ.

Now in the church, God the Father and the Son are represented through the activity of the Holy Spirit.

Through the work of the Holy Spirit, we have God WITH us and IN us. Therefore it is vital, imperative, important, and essential that we are ALWAYS people of the Spirit.

Why is this necessary?

I want to look at Acts 2, which is foundational for Pentecostals, but also for followers of Christ.

Remember, we’re look at Acts through the lens of prayer. The book of Acts is known for its supernatural exploits, BECAUSE everything happened was built on the foundation of prayer.

There are three areas of prayer this evening:

God to Dwells with Us

God to Draw People

God to Grow Us

Tonight, God wants to empower us to pray. For our prayers are effective and necessary for our church.

1. God to Dwell with Us

Acts 2:1–4 NKJV

1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

I have quoted this passage hundreds of times. So much so, that if I am not careful, I can pass it over thinking I know it so well.

Who has heard these four verses before?

As Pentecostals we know about the Day of Pentecost. The day was so important we’ve taken our description as Christians from these verses.

First, this passage is foundational, for it provides us with the proof in scripture that the Baptism in the Holy Spirit is an event separate from salvation.

When we come to Christ, the Holy Spirit takes residence within us.

When Jesus baptizes us in the Holy Spirit, He empowers us.

The evidence of this experience is we will speak in tongues.

While this is crucial to understand, I want to think of the magnitude of what happened on the Day of Pentecost.

This was the FIRST time that God poured out His Holy Spirit upon anyone who was saved. Before this, the Holy Spirit’s activity was reserved for prophets, priests, or kings.

Very few were able to experience the Holy Spirit in His fullness. But fifty days after the resurrection, the God of the Old Testament, as revealed through Jesus in the Gospels, came upon His church.

The 120 were recipients of Jesus’ promise,

John 14:16–17 NKJV

16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

Imagine it, the GOD of the universe began to dwell within the hearts and lives of people. The result of this supernatural encounter was life-changing.

Something I want to point out, the New Testament church spoke in tongues. They did not have differences of views on praying the Spirit.

The emphasis was not on tongues, but on God’s desire to dwell in them.

Likewise, our focus is not on speaking in tongues. We accept, believe, preach, and practice speaking in tongues. We should pray in the Spirit every day.

But it is not final goal. The goal is to have the Holy Spirit to dwell and empower us. When He does, we will then speak in tongues, and I can promise, it is a wonderful experience!

Their prayers opened the door for God to dwell with them. We should then pray for...

2. God to Draw People

Acts 2:5–6 NKJV

5 And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. 6 And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language.

As a result of the power of God flowing in the Upper Room, it attracted people. Some were curious, others were convicted, and a few found it all comical.

Regardless of their motivation behind their presence, they too were a part of Jesus’ plan.

John 12:32 NKJV

32 And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.”

Remember, they prayed for ten days before Pentecost. Throughout this time, they lifted up Jesus and glorified God through their prayer and supplication.

God responded to their prayers by sending the Spirit. Once the Spirit came, people from all over Jerusalem flocked to the Upper Room to see what happened.

As I mentioned there were different categories of people. However, God got through too many of them when Peter began to preach.

Acts 2:16–18 NKJV

16 But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17 ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. 18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy.

Peter addressed their concerns and doubt through the first message of the New Testament church. His was all about Jesus, yet Peter delivered it through the power of the Holy Spirit.

He was very plain. He reminded them of what recently occured in Jerusalem. Jesus died on the cross. It was fresh in everyone’s minds.

He explained, He willingly died and it was our sins who placed them there. But God raised Him from the dead and now He sits at the right hand of God.

Notice the response of the crowd.

Acts 2:37–39 NKJV

37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” 38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

The were heartbroken and deeply moved. They had their hand in Jesus’ death and needed to know what to do.

What changed their attitude?

Many of these people were in Jerusalem when Jesus died. There were some in the crowd that hollered crucify Him. But the Holy Spirit changed them.

What changed?

God dwelled in Peter and the 120 through the Holy Spirit. His activity made the difference. And the result is Peter shared a message of grace.

Jesus will save you. You can get baptized in water as a testimony. And He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit. And what is even better is the promise lasts for you, and all future generations.

When we pray for the Holy Spirit’s involvement in our lives and church, Jesus will draw people to Him.

I pray often that the power of Pentecost will remain alive and intensify in our church, for as it does, people will feel a drawing to Jesus.

Because of prayer, God dwells with us, draws people to Him, and we should pray for:

3. God to Grow Us

Acts 2:40–43 NKJV

40 And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” 41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. 42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.

Three thousand people responded to Peter’s message. The Holy Spirit drew them, Jesus forgave them, and the Father accepted them.

But notice what happened. The day of Pentecost was not a nice memory. What God did in their hearts and lives became a living reality as the church moved forward.

The apostles taught the church

They shared with one another, helping each other

The fellowshipped with each other

They prayed with and for each other

But God did not stop in them, He also allowed the power of God to grow in the apostles. The same supernatural exploits Jesus performed was at work in and through them.

I love how chapter two ends.

Acts 2:46–47 NKJV

46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

Every day they would go to the Temple to pray. They would meet house to house to encourage each other. They never stopped praising God. God gave them favor with others.

And EVERY day people were added to the church.

With church growth, the cycle continued to start over again. More people would feel the drawing of God as people who depended on the Holy Spirit were used by God.

But when it comes to church growth, we often think of numbers. We expect the church to get larger. While this is a facet of church growth,

A church can only sustain growth if and when the people in the church allow God to grow their spiritual lives.

At this point in the church, there was no conflict because the people were open and available for God to help them change and become more like Him.

Close:

The events in Acts 2 changed history. God took ordinary people and infused them with extraordinary power from heaven. The results were humanly impossible.

ONLY God could do what happened through them.

Tonight, I want us to pray that God will help us experience God’s perpetual activity of the Holy Spirit.

When we allow the Holy Spirit to have HIs way:

I will pray for God will dwell with me

I will pray for God will draw people

I will for God to deepen our walk with Him

So tonight, this is how we will pray.