Response to the Holy Spirit

Introduction

Last week we discussed the coming of the Holy Spirit. What a blessing what an amazing event. As the Holy Spirit came the disciples immediately began to tell other of Jesus Christ and his Resurrection.

This week we see Peter addresses the crowd. Most scholars believe that Peter spoke in Aramaic, the common dialect of Jerusalem which would all there would have understood. It was the third hour of the day, a customary hour of prayer.

Peter’s Sermon Acts 2:14-36

Acts 2:14–36 CSB

Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed to them, “Fellow Jews and all you residents of Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and pay attention to my words. For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it’s only nine in the morning. On the contrary, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: And it will be in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my Spirit on all people; then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. I will even pour out my Spirit on my servants in those days, both men and women and they will prophesy. I will display wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below: blood and fire and a cloud of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes. Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. “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. 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. God raised him up, ending the pains of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by death. For David says of him: I saw the Lord ever before me; because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices. Moreover, my flesh will rest in hope, because you will not abandon me in Hades or allow your holy one to see decay. You have revealed the paths of life to me; you will fill me with gladness in your presence. “Brothers and sisters, I can confidently speak to you about the patriarch David: He is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Since he was a prophet, he knew that God had sworn an oath to him to seat one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing what was to come, he spoke concerning the resurrection of the Messiah: He was not abandoned in Hades, and his flesh did not experience decay. “God has raised this Jesus; we are all witnesses of this. 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. 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 until I make your enemies your footstool.’ “Therefore let all the house of Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”

Peter begins with a sermon on Joel 2:28-32. Uses the Septuagint the Greek translation of the Book. This is one of the 23 sermons in the book of Acts. 7 were by Peter and 11 by Paul.

Peter shows that this passage in the Old Testament is fulfilled at Pentecost.

Men and women, young and old who gathered in Jerusalem after the ascension had experienced the pouring out of the Holy Spirit and subsequently proclaimed God’s wonders.

But the emphasis is And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord (Jesus Christ) will be saved.

Jesus has been resurrected. God may have handed Jesus over for crucifixion, evil men may have killed him, but God raised him from the dead. Thus Peter turns to Psalm 16:8–11. Readers of the Old Testament up to this point had applied Psalm 16 only to David. Peter, speaking through the Holy Spirit, now certified it as a messianic prophecy. He did not use the psalm to prove the resurrection, but to affirm the messiahship of Jesus. Peter didn’t bother to prove the resurrection at all—he just proclaimed it. God raised Jesus to experience joy in your presence.

We see here a major key to understanding Scripture, namely—Christ is the unifying link between Old and New Testaments. Luke had already concluded his first report to Theophilus on precisely this point

Luke 24:45–48 LEB

Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and would rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and the forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.

Luke tells us we don not have the entire sermon but as they hear the words of the Holy Spirit, peter calls for repentance and baptism, Offering forgiveness and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Water baptism became the uniform of the Lord’s people. Today we call it “believers’ baptism,” the conscious identification with Jesus on the part of those who have trusted him for salvation. The gift of the Holy Spirit then became the seal of salvation. To whom is this available? For all whom the Lord our God will call.

Will you accept the call?

That day God added three thousand people to the small number of believers already serving as Christ’s witnesses. This time there was no sound, no flame, and no foreign language. These people received the Holy Spirit because that’s what Peter promised in Jesus’ name.

The Same promise is there for you. If you have ABC you have the Holy Spirit. Live like it.

In the space of just a few verses, we see what happens when people trust Christ for salvation.

1. They must recognize their need

2. They must receive God’s gift

3. finally, they must obey the message.

Generous and Growing Acts 2:42-47

The next section tells up what obeying the message looks like.

Worship

Acts 2:42 LEB

And they were devoting themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayers.

Worship is part of the call of mankind. Fellowship, prayer, teaching, learning. Worhip is an important part of the purpose of the Holy Spirit.

Work

Acts 2:43–45 LEB

And fear came on every soul, and many wonders and signs were being performed by the apostles. And all who believed were in the same place, and had everything in common. And they began selling their possessions and property, and distributing these things to all, to the degree that anyone had need.

They were showing God’s love to those around them. God is not against you having stuff. And yes there is a difference between enabling bad and or lazy choices. But showing God’s love in a very real and and tangible way. Can’t tell a starving man be well and in Jesus if we don’t feed him.

Witness

Acts 2:46–47 LEB

And every day, devoting themselves to meeting with one purpose in the temple courts and breaking bread from house to house, they were eating their food with joy and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding every day to the total of those who were being saved.

Use the gifts of the Holy Spirit to tell others of Christ. Not come to church, but of the Resurrection of Jesus the Messiah.

Next Steps

Can you answer this question: How would you explain who Jesus is to an unbeliever?

If you can’t pray and write out an answer, practice.

If you can why aren’t you?

You have the Holy Spirit

Bibliography

Gangel, Kenneth O. Acts. Vol. 5. Holman New Testament Commentary. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1998.

Harris, W. Hall, III, Elliot Ritzema, Rick Brannan, Douglas Mangum, John Dunham, Jeffrey A. Reimer, and Micah Wierenga, eds. The Lexham English Bible. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012.

Barry, John D., Douglas Mangum, Derek R. Brown, Michael S. Heiser, Miles Custis, Elliot Ritzema, Matthew M. Whitehead, Michael R. Grigoni, and David Bomar. Faithlife Study Bible. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016.

Ogilvie, Lloyd J., and Lloyd J. Ogilvie. Acts. Vol. 28. The Preacher’s Commentary Series. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc, 1983.

Got Questions Ministries. Got Questions? Bible Questions Answered. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2002–2013.

Grudem, Wayne A. Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House, 2004.

Severance, W. Murray, and Terry Eddinger. That’s Easy for You to Say: Your Quick Guide to Pronouncing Bible Names. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1997.