The Birth of the Church
Acts • Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 7 viewsNotes
Transcript
What do I want them to know? God is the God of miracles and promises
Why? I want them to know that God still works miracles and keeps promises
What do I want them do? Believe in the promises walk in the empowerment of Holy Spirit and prophecy
Why? It gives hope and healing
ME/WE
I have been able to witness many miracles in my life, and specifically I want to to talk about TWO miracles that happened in my life, one happened about 7 years ago, and the other happened 5 years ago.
What 2 miracles am I referring to? The birth of my 2 sons Ben and Caleb.
What I was able to witness is that God took me and wife, and through microscopic particles, particles that you cannot see with the human eye, created a person, that would continue to grow until one day would come into the world 9 months later.
It is a miraculous thing....One moment there is no life and the next moment there is life.
You walk into hospital with 2 people and leave with 3.
All of us in this room we are walking miracles that God knew you before the foundation of the world, before you were in your mothers womb.
You are not just happenstance....not a product of evolution....you are a image bearer, the imago dei
It is a miracle…You’re a miracle
TENSION
What I want to talk about today is another miraculous birth, a miraculous birth that is full of promises and prophecy.
IT IS BIRTH OF THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH
It is a miraculous promised birth
Where we see 5 promised miraculous things happen.
We will cover 4 of those today.
GOD
Before we to get the miracles lets context of where we are at in Acts 2.
Where are we at in Acts 2? We are on the day of Pentecost,
What is the day of Pentecost? Pentecost is pilgrimage feast, that happened 50 days after passover, hence why the some called it Pentecost, where people all over the know world would travel to Jerusalem, so we in Jerusalem.
This is also not just Pentecost....something else happened 50 days earlier?
What was it?
Jesus defeated DEATH, JESUS ROSE FROM THE GRAVE, THE RESURECTION resur
10 days since Jesus ascended to heaven to heaven
Jesus was on the earth for 40 days after the resurrection and then ascended to heaven.
Jesus told them to stay in Jerusalem
Why?
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;
for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
Who is told to wait? Is just the disciples? NO, The 120 disciples
And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James.
All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said,
Where are they waiting? IN Jerusalem, in the upper room, on Pentecost, 50 days after
SHOW PICTURE
5 promised miraculous things happen on that day.
Let’s first cover the first 3
When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place.
And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.
And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
WIND IN A CLOSED ROOM....Promised in Ezek 37 another with Holy Spirit
FIRE: SYMBOL OF GOD’S PRESENCE
“I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
HOLY SPIRIT
Who is Holy Spirit
3rd member of the Trinity, fully God,
Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?
It is not in the physical stone temple, but He is in you
That one of the reasons we can say “God will never leave you or forsake you because God is in you”
THE WIND and HOLY SPIRIT WAS PROMISED PROPHECY THAT WE READ ABOUT IN EZEKIEL 37
- A prophecy promised about 600 years before Pentecost would happen
BEFORE WE READ EZEKIEL
What is going on Ezekiel chapter 37? What is going on with the nation of Israel?
The Jewish people were in exile in Babylon
A horrific time for the Jewish people, ripped from their homeland.
Hope was bleak
The ESV Study Bible Theme and Purpose
Ezekiel spoke to a community forced from its home, a people who had broken faith with their God.
THEN GOD GIVES Ezekiel a vision of a renewed creation, a renewed Israel IN EZEK 36:33-38
All hope is not lost for Israel, Israel would be brought back to Israel and back to life.
RUACH: WORD THAT MEANS WIND, BREATH, SPIRIT
The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones.
And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry.
And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.”
Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.
Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live.
And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.”
So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone.
And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them.
Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.”
So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.
Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.’
Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel.
And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people.
And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord.”
GOD’s SPIRIT COMES TO and breaths life into Israel, the dead bones will come to life. and not only to life, even better God Spirit will come inside of them!
GOD DOES WHAT HE SAYS HE WILL DO
AND IT GETS BETTER
If we keep reading the rest of chapter 37 we will see it is not just for Israel..
EZEK 37:15-28
It is for all who call on Jesus’ name where Holy Spirit will dwell
This what GEN 12:1-3
Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.
And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
THIS IS COMMISION and CALL JESUS GIVES THE DISCIPLES
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.”
HOLY SPIRIT IS FOR ALL PEOPLE, not just Israel
HOW DOES THE PROMISE GO TO THE NATIONS? HOW DOES IT START OFF? IN A MIRACULOUS WAY
4. Promised miracle
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven.
And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language.
And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans?
And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language?
Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,
Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome,
both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.”
And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?”
2 Types of Tongues
Prayer language
1 Cor 14:2
For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit.
That at times can have some people interpret the language....
TONGUES CHANGES YOUR LANGUAGE TO AN UNDERSTANDABLE LANGUAGE
SOME NATIONS SETTLED IN JERUSALEM
GALILEANS; THOSE ARE THE UNEDUCATED, NOT SMART PEOPLE....
They would not know how to speak all these languages
Acts 1:8 starts here, we are going to see that people from here become missionaries to their home countries and that is why when Paul goes to some parts of the world they already have churches because of what happens on Pentecost.
THIS IS AMAZING!
God gives them tongues to speak in other languages.
BUT WERE ALL PEOPLE AMAZED?
NO
But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”
But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words.
For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day.
(they are drunk....why would they say that
Languages no…drunk people do mumble into new languages
Boldness and joy.
So often this happens in the church A MOVE OF GOD HAPPENS THAT MAYBE DOES NOT FIT OUR THEOLOGY BOX OF HOW GOD IS SUPPOSE TO OPERATE.
That cannot be God.....
BUT What is happening is what God said would happen
But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:
“ ‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams;
even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.
And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;
the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.
And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’
What Peter is saying in the last Days God Spirit is poured out on all FLESH, those who are believers....
They shall Prophesy
They shall see visions
They shall dream dreams
We see from early they shall speak in tongues
DO WE BELIEVE THAT???
THE CRUX OF THE MATTER TODAY IS DO WE BELIEVE IT IS NOT DID IT HAPPEN THEN, (MOST OF US SAY IT HAPPEN THEN) DOES IT HAPPEN TODAY?
The sign gifts are alive and active?
DO WE BELIEVE GOD IS THE SAME YESTERDAY, TODAY, AND FOREVER?
I grew up in a church that said they do not exist today (cessionism), they were for the early church.
We do not need them today.
Why? (some theological, philosophical and scriptural)
1a. Sign gifts only existed for the Apostles to verify they were Apostles....show people who Jesus is
And all the residents of Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.
1b. Sign gifts only for the early church because the early church did not have the scriptures yet, and they need sign gifts to show the world who Jesus is.
2. Scripture
Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.
For we know in part and we prophesy in part,
but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.
What’s the perfect? The completion of the Bible....huh!?! (I remember saying this as a young person)
John Calvin who, him and Luther did a lot great things for the church....
Priesthood of all believers
Pope words are not equal to scripture
And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers,
to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,
3. Calvin and Luther were against the Catholic Church
Considered the Catholic church heretical so all “supposed signs and wonders” were demonic
4. Enlightenment
the Enlightenment, a philosophical movement of the 18th century, characterized by belief in the power of human reason and by innovations in political, religious, and educational doctrine.
Spiritual was done away with.
This is the view I had for years
Things happened in my life, experiences,
Experiences
I would be at my friends church who believed they Sign Gifts of prophecy and tongues and healing existed.
People would speak prophetic words over my life and it was like they were reading my mail.... “I think the Lord wants you to know ___” It freaked me out and brought great encouragement
Gideon
Robyn Benjamin
One of my friends went on a missions trip and did not speak the language in Argentia, and he saw a man about to jump off a bridge and my friends spoke to him in English about the hope of Jesus and the person responded back in English and gave his life to Jesus....but here’s the thing they found out threw the interpreter that
2. Scripture
1 Cor 13:8-10
Perfect is not the Bible but the second of Jesus, when we have Jesus again we will not need prophecy because we have Jesus
3. History (constant testimony of church history)
- Ignatius (35-100AD) personally gave words of prophecy
- Justin Martyer (100-165 AD) “It possible now to see among us men and women who possess the gifts of the Spirit of God”
- Irenaeus (130-202AD) “Spoke of prophecies, healings, tongues happening in his day....quote “others still heal the sick by laying hands on them and yay moreover, even the dead have been raised among us and remained with us many years.”
- Tertullian (160-220) wrote a 7 volume on movement of Holy Spirit… “seeing we acknowledge Spiritual gifts we too have merited the prophetic gift and encourage the speaking in tongues.”
Cyril of Jerusalem (310-386AD) “Judging from my experience it is not impossible for people to prophecy once they come out of the water of baptism”
Augustine (354-430AD) “what am I to do I am so pressed by the promise of finishing that I cannot record all the miracles that I know”
John Wessly (1750) “The grand reason why the miraculous gifts were soon withdrawn from the churches, was not only that faith and holiness were well nye lost, but that dry, formal, orthodox men began to ridicule whatever gifts they had not themselves, and decried them as evil madness or imposters.”
- Azuza street in 1900’s in Unite States where the Spirit broke out
Moody Missions week
Cessessism
D.L. Moody was not
Missionaries would talk about
Healings, prophecy, speaking in tongues
What I believe is many people believe these gifts do not exist, not because of TRUTH but because of
3 reasons: UNBELIEF (we don’t ask for it or pray for it), FEAR and CONTROL (What I believed)
NOT WANTING TO BE IN CONTROL
ABUSES
Preaching Abuses too
Leadership abuses
Where I believe God is moving the church is to be the CHURCH....like it was in ACTS 2 and we see in 1 Cor 14:26
OLD PATHS and NEW POWER
What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up.
On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation.
Orderly
Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said.
If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent.
For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged,
and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets.
For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints,
What do prophetic words look like? (3 things)
They are not equal to God’s words....it is better to say “I believe God wants you to know ____”
The are impressions or words or promptings ....God has given me impressions of a person who’s outward shell is like a metal statue that God is....or someone might give you the word renewal.
God says to go encourage them
They are more often ENCOURAGEMENT not correction....though correction does happen....some will say “
Do not despise prophecies,
but test everything; hold fast what is good.
I believe the God wants the PRESENT CHURCH TO FUNCTION LIKE THE early church
OLD PATHS NEW POWER