Pentecost Sunday

Good morning. Today we are finishing our series on the Holy Spirit by looking at an overview of how the Holy Spirit worked in the lives of believers in the book of Acts. Today is Pentecost Sunday, a day when we remember what happened fifty days after Jesus’s resurrection, when Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to live in the hearts of His followers in a dramatic and visible way that first Pentecost so that it would be clear that this was the beginning of a new way in which God would reveal Himself to His people from that point forward. If you have your Bible with you today, please turn with me to Acts chapter 2. We are going to start in verse 1, but will be skipping some verses along the way to hit the highlights of what God was doing on that day and then after that day through the church.

Acts 2:1–4 NLT

1 On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. 2 Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. 3 Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. 4 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.

Acts goes on to tell us that this event drew the attention of many Jews in the surrounding area, and as they gathered Peter started preaching to the crowds that came and declared…

Acts 2:22–24 CSB

22 “Fellow Israelites, listen to these words: This Jesus of Nazareth was a man attested to you by God with miracles, wonders, and signs that God did among you through him, just as you yourselves know. 23 Though he was delivered up according to God’s determined plan and foreknowledge, you used lawless people to nail him to a cross and kill him. 24 God raised him up, ending the pains of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by death.

Acts 2:32–42 CSB

32 “God has raised this Jesus; we are all witnesses of this. 33 Therefore, since he has been exalted to the right hand of God and has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit, he has poured out what you both see and hear. 34 For it was not David who ascended into the heavens, but he himself says: The Lord declared to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand 35 until I make your enemies your footstool.’ 36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” 37 When they heard this, they were pierced to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” 38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” 40 With many other words he testified and strongly urged them, saying, “Be saved from this corrupt generation!” 41 So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand people were added to them. 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.

Let’s pray...

This chapter outlines just the start of what happened to the followers of Jesus once He sent them the Holy Spirit. From that time onward, when someone put their faith in Jesus, they received the Holy Spirit. There is another example of it happening in a dramatic and exciting way, the first time that Gentiles were recorded as having received the Holy Spirit too (because the first Christians were all Jewish followers of Jesus). God allowed that event to also be amazing and wonderful at a different level in order for the Jewish believers to have no doubt that the same gift they received of the Holy Spirit was also given to Gentile believers in Jesus Christ. The rest of the book of Acts records what effect the Holy Spirit had in the lives of believers as the early church grew and spread. So this morning we are going to look at some of the top ways that the Holy Spirit has an impact on the lives of believers who are connected with God and walking with Him over the long haul throughout their lives.

One of the first impacts of the Holy Spirit can be seen immediately after the disciples receive the Holy Spirit in Acts 2.

The Holy Spirit makes you bold.

What happens when the Spirit comes into the lives of the disciples? They begin to speak in different languages, and that’s impressive because the disciples didn’t have to take a foreign language in high school in those days. The point wasn’t so much that they were speaking in different languages that people from other countries could understand, it was that they had been filled with God’s Spirit which allowed them to do things that were beyond anything they could do in their own power. And when they started speaking, what did they speak about? They told the story of who Jesus is and why others need to turn to Him for salvation.

Peter - Acts 2 - We just read how Peter went into an explanation of how Jesus is the Messiah and the Savior that the Jews had been waiting for over hundreds of years. This is the same Peter who weeks earlier had cowered in the corner of the courtyard while Jesus was being falsely accused and tried by the religious leaders of Jerusalem. But now, with the Holy Spirit in him, he is bold and courageous.

Peter and John Acts 3-4 - probably a few days or weeks after what happened in Acts 2, Peter and John are on their way to the temple and they end up healing a paralytic man. As the crowd once again forms to see this amazing miracle (because, apparently the healed man was a constant presence and people were familiar with the paralytic who begged at the gate called “Beautiful”), Peter takes the opportunity to once again speak boldly about Jesus, the one who actually healed the paralytic man. His speech isn’t timid and careful, here is part of what he tells the crowd:

Acts 3:13–16 CSB

13 The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our ancestors, has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and denied before Pilate, though he had decided to release him. 14 You denied the Holy and Righteous One and asked to have a murderer released to you. 15 You killed the source of life, whom God raised from the dead; we are witnesses of this. 16 By faith in his name, his name has made this man strong, whom you see and know. So the faith that comes through Jesus has given him this perfect health in front of all of you.

Peter goes on to acknowledge that the people did this in ignorance, so he calls them to turn to Jesus now that they know the truth.

Acts 3:19–20 CSB

19 Therefore repent and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped out, 20 that seasons of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send Jesus, who has been appointed for you as the Messiah.

Wow, those are powerful, bold words, and the words brought conviction to many who were listening and more people became followers of Jesus. Their words got them arrested, and the next day they were standing before the religious rulers, and once again boldly spoke about Christ to them, even though the religious leaders were threatening them to stop telling others about Jesus. After they are released and report what happened to the other disciples, they all get together for a prayer meeting, not to complain and ask God to protect them from these people who are threatening them, but to ask God for boldness to preach God’s message. Here is what they prayed:

Acts 4:29–31 CSB

29 And now, Lord, consider their threats, and grant that your servants may speak your word with all boldness, 30 while you stretch out your hand for healing, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31 When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God boldly.

This was the pattern of what the Holy Spirit did for believers when they were faced with persecution and attack. It is still the pattern of how the Holy Spirit helps His people today. He gives us boldness to share the message of Christ with others. I want to call your attention to something at this point. The message we are given boldness to communicate is NOT: “You should go to church,” or “You should stop doing those bad things that you do,” or, “You should stop trying to take away my rights.” The Gospel is not a call to follow a set of rules or join a club, or improve your behavior, or for us to stand up for our rights, it is a call to enter a relationship with Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Savior of the world. Our boldness isn’t so that we can march down the street with a sign supporting a political agenda or corner a coworker in the office and confront them about their incorrect view of life. It is about JESUS, the person, the one who loved you and me so much that He gave up His place in heaven to come down here, live the life of a human in all our mess, and give His life for us in a death that went beyond the pain and punishment any other being has ever experienced. There may be parts of that presentation that include our sinfulness as an explanation as to why Jesus had to die for us, and it might include a presentation of the amazing work that Jesus does to free us from our slavery to sin, but those things are tools that point to the relationship that Jesus wants to have with each person so that they can be forgiven and saved. Let us be bold in sharing the great news of God’s love and salvation that is only found in Jesus.

As you continue through the book of Acts, you see that ...

The Holy Spirit gives you insight into people’s motives and intentions.

At the end of chapter 4 of Acts, we see that some of the new disciples were showing their devotion to Christ and love for His people through great acts of generosity. The end of chapter 4 tells us that...

Acts 4:36–37 CSB

36 Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus by birth, the one the apostles called Barnabas (which is translated Son of Encouragement), 37 sold a field he owned, brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

Immediately after that, we read of another couple that also tries to be generous, kind of.

Ananias and Sapphira - In this passage, a husband and wife sell a piece of land, and because they wanted to keep some of the money for themselves, but pretend they were being really generous, they lied about how much money they got from the sale. But the Holy Spirit revealed the deceit to Peter.

Acts 5:3–4 CSB

3 “Ananias,” Peter asked, “why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the proceeds of the land? 4 Wasn’t it yours while you possessed it? And after it was sold, wasn’t it at your disposal? Why is it that you planned this thing in your heart? You have not lied to people but to God.”

The Spirit gave Peter insight into what was really going on, and revealed Ananias and Sapphira’s deceit. Why was this such a big deal? The problem wasn’t that the couple had kept some of the money, it’s that they lied about it. They were dishonest and were doing things with wrong motives. If you read later in the book of Acts, Barnabas becomes an important person in the early church, and is one of the leaders that goes on to have a big impact in the growth of the church. His generosity and love for Christ and for God’s people revealed that he was someone who was worthy of trust and who gained influence over time. Had Peter not been given insight by the Holy Spirit about Ananias and his wife, and the true nature of their gift and their lack of character, they very well could have also been given responsibilities and influence early on in the life of the church that could have been devastating for a new community of Jesus followers… a community that would soon have to endure trials and persecution and would need trustworthy people of solid character to lead the way.

Years later, we see the Holy Spirit giving the Apostle Paul insight into people’s motives and intentions as he travels back to Jerusalem after many years of being away doing ministry and starting churches all over the Roman empire. Paul was warned by the Holy Spirit -

Acts 20:22–24 CSB

22 “And now I am on my way to Jerusalem, compelled by the Spirit, not knowing what I will encounter there, 23 except that in every town the Holy Spirit warns me that chains and afflictions are waiting for me. 24 But I consider my life of no value to myself; my purpose is to finish my course and the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of God’s grace.

The Holy Spirit revealed to Paul that “chains and afflictions” were awaiting him. He did not know the details of it at first, he just had a general sense of impending hardship, but in the next chapter the Holy Spirit reveals more to Paul through another Christian leader who came to see Paul on his journey to Jerusalem...

Acts 21:11 CSB

11 He came to us, took Paul’s belt, tied his own feet and hands, and said, “This is what the Holy Spirit says: ‘In this way the Jews in Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him over to the Gentiles.’ ”

Amazingly, Paul understood that these hardships were in store for him when he got to Jerusalem, but the Spirit did not tell Paul to run away from this persecution, or go to a different place where he would avoid it.

Sometimes the Spirit reveals things to us so that we can avoid them, and other times He reveals things to us so we can endure them better.

With Ananias and Sapphira, Peter needed to know so that he didn’t trust dishonest people and put them in positions of influence. With Paul, the Spirit told him about people’s intentions towards him, not so that he would avoid it, but so that he would be prepared for it when the persecution came.

The same thing is true for us. Sometimes God wants us to stay away from people and situations that will be harmful to us or to His people. Other times, God wants us to know that people’s intentions towards us are evil so that we won’t be unprepared for it when it happens. When we are prepared to endure persecution and abuse because of our faith, it brings glory to God, and it encourages and motivates our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Another thing we can observe from how the Holy Spirit acted in the book of Acts is that...

The Holy Spirit gives you words to say.

In Luke 12:11, Jesus says...

Luke 12:11–12 NIV

11 “When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.”

We see this multiple times in the book of Acts.

In Acts 4-5 Peter and John were given words to speak when they healed the paralytic beggar and when they had to defend themselves before the religious leaders. Their argument was so strong, actually, that the people listening took note that they were not highly educated, but that they had spent time with Jesus.

Stephen - A few chapters later in Acts 6, we are introduced to a man named Stephen. Stephen was given some responsibility as a deacon in the early church, a role that helped take care of other Christians that were a part of the church in Jerusalem so that the Apostles could focus on prayer and teaching God’s word. But Stephen also was a great man of faith who God used to perform miracles and share the Gospel boldly. At one point, this got Stephen in trouble with a group of Jewish religious people.

Here is what it says in

Acts 6:8–10 NIV

8 Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people. 9 Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia—who began to argue with Stephen. 10 But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.

There are times that we as believers might be called upon to speak up in front of others about the faith we hold and the God we serve. If we have been intentionally staying connected with the Holy Spirit and we have been growing in our relationship with God, the Holy Spirit will help us when we have to speak up. You don’t have to have a Master’s degree in Bible, or be some kind of ordained minister to be able to speak up in front of others, you just have to be willing to obey God when He tells you to do something, and trust that He will give you the right words at the right time. That does not mean that things will always go how you want them to go. Sometimes we will still suffer because we remain faithful to God and to His message. That’s why the next point is important...

The Holy Spirit reveals God in the midst of tough times.

Stephen’s response to the religious leaders made them angry.

Acts 7:54–56 NIV

54 When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”

In the midst of the anger and hatred, God gave Stephen an incredible look into the Spiritual reality that was happening right then and there. He saw Jesus standing next to God the Father in all their glory. Even though the circumstances were as bad as it could get, God allowed Stephen to see that there was more to our lives than just our short time here in the fallen creation.

Later, near the end of the book of Acts, Paul is on a ship as a prisoner on his way to Rome, and the ship is caught in a terrible storm. God sends an angel to reassure Paul that because of God’s protection on Paul, everyone on the ship will survive the shipwreck that is about to happen.

There are times in our own lives when things seem like they could not get any worse. We are in the depths of despair, and God gives us a glimpse of His presence and His provision for us. Sometimes we still endure the tragedy and loss, but we know that He is present with us. Other times He brings us out of the crisis altogether, but either way, God’s Spirit reminds us that even though we may not always understand the ways of God, or why He allows things to happen, it does not mean that He has abandoned us or that he loves us any less.

The Holy Spirit leads you to specific people to share God’s word with them.

Jesus commanded His followers to go to all the world and tell people about Him. Sometimes the disciples did this with large groups of people, like when Peter spoke to large crowds in the early part of the book of Acts, or when Paul spoke to the crowds in Athens about their temple to “an unknown god.” But there were other times that the Holy Spirit led people to have conversations with very specific people. One example is Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch. God had clearly been working in the life of the Ethiopian man, and Philip was sent there by the Holy Spirit at just the right time and place to meet him and answer his questions so that he would put his faith in Jesus.

Another example of this is Peter and Cornelius. Cornelius was a Gentile who believed in God and worshiped Him, and who God was working in to prepare him to believe in Jesus. God sent Peter very specifically and purposefully to Cornelius’s house to tell him and his family about Jesus, and they became the first Gentile disciples of Christ.

God is often at work in people around us, drawing them to Him and putting in them a desire to know more about Him, but we might not even know about it until the Holy Spirit tells us to go and speak to them and tell them about Jesus. Often we will be surprised at how willingly they respond to our message about Jesus, and how quick they are to put their faith in Him.

The final thing I want to draw our attention to is the fact that…

The Holy Spirit calls people to ministry.

Yes, Jesus calls all believers to be involved with taking the Gospel to people who are our neighbors, all the way to the ends of the earth. But sometimes God calls certain people to a more specific or focused life of ministry. This might be as a pastor, missionary, or other full-time ministry position. We see this happen with Barnabas and Saul in...

Acts 13:1–3 CSB

1 Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen, a close friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 As they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then after they had fasted, prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them off.

Barnabas and Paul had already been active in serving God and serving the Church long before this special calling. They had been faithful parts of the Body of Christ, faithful witnesses where they were living, and then the Holy Spirit set them apart for a special calling on their lives to be missionaries. They didn’t start taking their faith seriously AFTER their call, they were serious about it all along.

Church, if you have a mindset that says, “I’m not called to any special kind of ministry, so I don’t have to be that serious about my faith,” then you have it all wrong. I would challenge you to seriously consider if you are truly following Christ if you’re not serious about your relationship with Him. Every Christian should be serious about their faith, and about their relationship with Christ, no matter what role God has given them in His Church. And when you are serious, and you are following Him faithfully, the Holy Spirit sometimes calls you to a special time of focussed ministry. Maybe it’s a mission trip for a week or longer, maybe it’s a call to become a musician at church, or lead the worship team. Maybe it’s a call to be a pastor or a long-term missionary. Maybe it’s a call to serve your home church in a special way. That was the case for the leaders of the church in Acts, the Elders. In his farewell speech to some of the church leaders He ministered to, Paul says this:

Acts 20:28 CSB

28 Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as overseers, to shepherd the church of God, which he purchased with his own blood.

In our church, we elect deacons each year to serve three-year terms, and we need to be prayerfully seeking God’s will about who those people should be. It’s not a popularity contest, or a political assignment, it is a God-appointed responsibility as a result of a call by the Holy Spirit, and each leader will have to answer to God for how they do in caring for the flock Jesus purchased with His own blood. But it’s not just the deacons who are called by the Holy Spirit to lead. God calls others to teach Sunday School, lead ministries, or volunteer in ministries, and to be a part of all that He wants us to do as a church in our community and beyond. Some callings may be temporary, others may be more long-lasting. Still, each person who serves at our church should serve with the attitude that they are not just filling a need in an organization that needs volunteers, they are called to do what they do by the Holy Spirit, and the part that they play is important to what God wants to do through all of us together.

My prayer is that each one of us will open our hearts and our ears to receive God’s calling and obey it. Some of you already have, and some of you are still seeking what role God wants you to play as part of our church family. As you seek to hear from God, I encourage you to obey in the things you already know you are supposed to be doing (things all Christians should do, like reading the Bible, praying, looking for opportunities to tell others about God, serving one another, etc.). And be listening to God as you do these things, ready to respond when you hear Him speak to you with a desire and willingness to be used by Him.

Let’s pray.

Hebrews 13:20–21 CSB

20 Now may the God of peace, who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus—the great Shepherd of the sheep—through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 equip you with everything good to do his will, working in us what is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.