Pentecost: Our Helper Has Come
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
In the gospel of John, Jesus made this promise to His disciples:
John 14:15–17 (ESV)
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth.
He spoke of this of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit, Jesus said, would be our Helper. One who comes alongside us in our service to God.
In Acts 2, we see that this Helper has come. What does this help involve?
That is the subject of our text this morning and the point of the sermon this morning. Where are we going this morning? Let’s get a little preview.
In sending the Helper, God fulfills His promises
In sending the Helper, God reveals His power
In sending the Helper, God accomplishes His purpose.
First, in sending the helper, God fulfills His promises.
#1: In sending the Helper, God fulfills His promises
#1: In sending the Helper, God fulfills His promises
In sending the Helper, God fulfills His promises. So, two questions: 1) where do we see God fulfilling His promises in our passage? And 2) what does that tell us about God’s character?
A. Where do we see God fulfilling His promises in our text?
A. Where do we see God fulfilling His promises in our text?
It’s found in the first verse. Verse 1 tells us “when the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.”
The three annual feasts:
Feast of Tabernacles
Passover
Pentecost = celebration of the harvest
Pentecost was one of the three Jewish feasts that were celebrated annually in Jerusalem, the other two being Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles. Scores of Jews would come to Jerusalem from all over Palestine and beyond, to celebrate these feasts. Scores of Jews from all over Palestine were already in fact in Jerusalem for this feast when the Holy Spirit comes upon the church here in Acts 2. Pentecost was always celebrated 50 days after the Passover, and it was a celebration of God’s goodness and faithfulness. He had provided for them again by giving them a fruitful harvest. Now they come together before the Lord to thank Him for His goodness and to prove His faithfulness by giving a portion back to Him.
But now the early church stands at the edge of another harvest, an even greater harvest. God is about to fulfill His ancient promises to send His Spirit upon His people - His promises to bless the nations through the offspring of Abraham and create for Himself a people from every tribe, tongue, and language.
And the way the Lord would accomplish this was not through a marketing campaign or a social media strategy or a press release. He would do it, instead, by word of mouth and the testimony of changed lives. But none of that would happen unless God Himself empowers us. And so God sends His Spirit, the Spirit of His Son, upon His people. He places a part of Himself, so to speak, within us, so that all we do we do in the power of God. God had fulfilled His ancient promises by sending the Spirit.
Okay, that’s great, but what promises were actually fulfilled? There’s alot, but let me just show you one from the OT and two from the NT.
Joel 2:28-29
“And afterward,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams,
your young men will see visions.
Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
But this promise is also found in the NT, too. Listen to what John the Baptist said to the crowds just as Jesus was beginning His ministry:
Luke 3:16
John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
And then listen to what Jesus says to His disciples just a few weeks before what’s taking place in Acts 2. John 14:16
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,
So when Luke opens up Acts 2:1 by telling us that the day of Pentecost has come, he means something other than just to tell us that the actual day of Pentecost has arrived. He’s also saying that the time for the fulfillment of God’s ancient promises has now come. The word that’s used there in verse 1 for “came”, when the day of Pentecost came, it really doesn’t mean “came”. It means “fulfilled”. It doesn’t just refer to the passing of the days. It doesn’t just mean, “On a Saturday, on the day of Pentecost”, it means when the divinely appointed time for the fulfilling of the ancient promises of God. In sending the Helper, God fulfills His promises.
B. What does that tell us about God? He is faithful!
B. What does that tell us about God? He is faithful!
All of us know someone who promised us something and then went back on their promise.
Some of you know we’re in the process of buying a house. The closer we get to it, the more excited we get, but also the more paperwork there is. Filling out forms and signing them has become a part-time job for my sweet wife.
Now the forms we’re signing are contracts. You know how a contract works: both parties agree to certain actions beneficial to the other party. Contracts also stipulate what will happen if one or both parties make a mistake. We’re under contract with the sellers to buy 603 E. Church St. in Cherryville. But if our loan underwriting for some reason doesn’t go through, we’re no longer under contract and the sellers can put the house back on the market.
Why do we use contracts? They’re not bad. We need them. Why do we need them? We need contracts to bind us to certain actions. We need contracts to keep us accountable to the other party. Why do we need that? Because people are unfaithful. In general, human beings are not trustworthy. Sure, some are more so than others. But no human being is completely faithful, completely trustworthy, completely reliable - no one always makes good on every promise ever made.
Heb. 13:5
Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,”
No one, that is, except for God. God is wonderfully different from us! “I will never desert you,” the Lord says, “nor will I ever forsake you” (Heb. 13:5 NASB). That’s not contract language. That’s covenant language. What’s a covenant? This is a covenant:
“I, Dustin, take thee, Shannon, to be my wedded wife, to hand to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish till death do us part.”
Marriage is not a contractual relationship. It’s a covenant relationship. It doesn’t say, “I will stay with you for better or for worse…as long as you do this or that.” No, it’s for better or for worse - period. It’s for richer or for poorer - period. It’s in sickness and in health - period. Not once does the other person’s behavior even enter the picture.
That’s the kind of relationship God desires with us. It’s the kind of relationship you already have with God right now if you’ve trusted in Christ. Don’t you long for that? You never have to worry about where you stand with Him! You never have to worry if He’s changed His mind about you. You are never “too much” for Him. Why? Because our relationship with God is a covenant; it’s based not on our inconsistent behavior, but on God’s perfectly consistent character. Therefore it is a steadfast, rock solid assurance that we have.
People will let you down. That person you’re getting to know that you think is different from everyone else? Eventually he or she will let you down, too. Shawn and I will let you down. Our deacons will let us down. We love you guys, but chances we have already disappointed you to some degree, and if not, we will. No human can be your Savior. God is faithful to us. He has kept His promises. He has proven Himself in the past. He will continue to do so. God is faithful; He can be trusted. Do you have a relationship with this utterly faithful God?
In sending the Helper, God fulfills His promises.
#2: In sending the Helper, God reveals His power
#2: In sending the Helper, God reveals His power
All my life, I have been sort of fascinated with the weather. We had a brush with a tornado when I was a kid. After that I was afraid of storms, but as I grew up that fear turned into fascination. I think my favorite weather phenomenon is wind. I absolutely love to hear the sound of a strong wind in the branches of a bare tree in the winter. It may sound odd, but hearing that sound satisfies something deep within me that for a long time I didn’t understand. I think maybe now I’m beginning to understand. I love the wind because it is a manifestation of God’s power.
Now I know that wind can be destructive. I don’t take delight in seeing people’s homes destroyed by tornadoes and hurricanes. But I do really enjoy the display of God’s power through the weather. Think of the power of an F5 tornado or a category four or five hurricane. That kind of wind will literally drive water through the tiniest crevices in the most well-built houses. Hurricane force winds can push sand through windows; it can drive plastic straws deep into a the trunk of an oak tree. What power that is! I think about what Job said as he spoke to Bildad: Job 26:14
Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways,
and how small a whisper do we hear of him!
But the thunder of his power who can understand?”
God displays his power in other ways, though, like here in Acts 2:2-3.
The disciples are together in one place. There’s a lot of togetherness in the book of Acts. The word “together” is found 11 times in the book of Acts compared with just twice in all the rest of the NT. We’ll see that as we go along. They lived life together, as we might say today. Their time together was something they prioritized. Being together was something they invested a lot of time and energy into.
And it is in the midst of this togetherness that the Spirit comes. It’s in the midst of this togetherness that the power of God is displayed by His Spirit. He comes audibly and visibly.
A. The Spirit comes audibly (v. 2)
A. The Spirit comes audibly (v. 2)
Verse 2 says: “Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.” When the Spirit had come, He came with an audible manifestation, and Luke describes it as a violent wind, a rushing wind.
It makes sense that wind would be associated with the Spirit. The word “spirit” in both Hebrew and Greek can also mean “wind.” The Spirit of God is in a sense the breath of God. At the beginning of the Bible, Genesis 1:1-2
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
The Spirit of God was active at the first creation. Now the Holy Spirit once again comes and is active as God begins His work of re-creation. The Spirit comes audibly. But the Spirit also comes visibly.
B. The Spirit comes visibly (v. 3)
B. The Spirit comes visibly (v. 3)
When God displays His power, He not only reveals it audibly. He reveals it visibly. Jesus had told them, Don’t go out on mission just yet. Stay together in the city until you’re clothed with power from on high. The disciples, who are here obediently waiting together hearing this violent rushing wind, hearing the raw power of God, they must have remembered what Jesus said: clothed with power from on high.
But imagine what they would have thought when they saw what Luke describes here in verse 3. “They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.” Perhaps John the Baptist’s words rang through the minds of some of them: “I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come…He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Luke 3:16 NIV). And as these words are echoing through their minds, the tongue of fire, Luke tells us, divides itself into multiple tongues of fire which come to rest on each of them.
Fire in the Bible
Symbolizes God’s presence among His people
Symbolizes God’s purifying love for His people
God often associates Himself with fire in the OT. Think of the pillar of fire that led the Israelites by night. Think of both fire and wind on Mt. Sinai and the giving of the law - there was lightning and smoke and strong winds. Think of fire and wind - although for a different purpose - on that same mountain centuries later with Elijah. In all of this, fire symbolizes God’s presence among His people; it symbolizes His holy love, His purifying affection, for us. Both reveal His power.
Here we come up against some really important theology - the omnipotence of God.
The omnipotence of God:
omni = “all”
“potentia” = “power”
Hence: God is all powerful
Q: What is the omnipotence of God?
A: God is able to do whatever He desires except that which is outside the bounds of His character
Now take this unlimited divine power and unleash it onto the world stage through the church in fulfillment of God’s promises, and you have Pentecost. Through His power rather than theirs, He would bear witness to men and women beginning in Jerusalem, spreading out into Judea and Samaria, beyond that to Rome, and even to the ends of the earth. They would need this power to be on mission. You and I need this power to be on mission. The people of God need the power of God to engage in the mission of God.
Why do we need to be reminded of God’s power? Why is that a help to us? We need to be reminded of God’s power because we too quickly assume that our power is enough. We struggle with self-sufficiency. Our culture doesn’t give us any help with this, either. “Look within yourself,” we’re told, “and you’ll find that you are enough in yourself to conquer anything.”
But the Bible is clear that some things are beyond our ability to handle. Scripture makes clear that at some point we will come up against something too heavy and too overwhelming to take care of on our own. Read with me on your screen from 2Cor. 1:8-9. Is it true that God will never give you more than you can handle? Let’s subject that cliche to the scrutiny of Scripture and find out how well it stands up. 2Cor. 1:8-9
We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.
Q: Why do we need to be reminded of our inability?
A: It refocuses us on all that Christ is for us in His fullness to us in our weakness
Where you are sad, He is joyful. Where you are struggling, He is triumphant. Where you are weak, He is strong. Have you come up against something that is too much for you? Good. That’s how God wants it. Now God will get to work not only in dealing with your problem but also in changing you.
300 Quotations for Preachers We Have No Power of Our Own
We can have no power from Christ unless we live in a persuasion that we have none of our own.
The purpose of this unleashing of God’s power into our lives and our world is not that we might do great things and be seen as great, but rather that we are emptied out of our pride and self-sufficiency so that we are filled with God for His glory and for the good of the church and hence the world.
In sending the Helper, God fulfills His promises, He reveals His power, and, as we’ll see now, God accomplishes His purpose.
#3: In sending the Helper, God accomplishes His purpose
#3: In sending the Helper, God accomplishes His purpose
Look with me at verse 4: “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them” (NIV).
Our Pentecostal brothers and sisters would read this verse and say that every believer should speak in tongues at some point. Some of them would even say that if a Christian hasn’t spoken in tongues, there might be a spiritual problem.
This is just one of those issues that well-meaning Christian disagree on. I have never spoken in tongues, and I would assume that the majority of you haven’t either. To me, the NT clearly indicates that not only will many believers not speak in tongues, but also that tongues are not the most important gift. Paul seems to think that prophecy is the greater gift.
1Cor. 14:1-5
Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. For one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God; for no one understands, but in his spirit he speaks mysteries. But one who prophesies speaks to men for edification and exhortation and consolation. One who speaks in a tongue edifies himself; but one who prophesies edifies the church. Now I wish that you all spoke in tongues, but even more that you would prophesy; and greater is one who prophesies than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may receive edifying.
I’m not dogmatic on this because I know, again, many well-meaning believers disagree. But I think the debate on tongues misses the point of Pentecost. Speaking in tongues are just the outward effect. Conformity to Christ is the point. The point of the coming of the Spirit is not what happens externally; the inward transformation is the point. The point is not that we might stand in amazement at the speaking of tongues; the point is that we might glorify God for how the Holy Spirit is changing us and changing those around us. That is the purpose of God in sending the Helper - that He might not only fulfill His promises and reveal His power but also that He might effect His purposes within us.
Here’s something else we might miss about this story if we’re not careful: the experience the disciples had with the Spirit, that same experience is available to every person who places faith in Jesus Christ. You might not speak in tongues. Tongues, I think, served a purpose in the book of Acts that is not needed today, but that’s another matter. You probably won’t speak in tongues, but you will be given saving faith in Jesus; the Spirit will come and take up residence in you; the Spirit will begin and continue the process of sanctification (or, spiritual growth) within you. And the Holy Spirit will give you at least one spiritual gift.
Does anybody in the room this morning like to bowl? Do any of you consider yourselves to be serious bowlers? Well, here’s the test: do you have the custom made bowling ball?
Pastor Tony Evans talks about this. He says that these bowling balls each have a weight and a grip that is customized to fit you. That is to make you the best bowler you can be.
“God has constructed every member of His body in a customized way. God has uniquely crafted every one of us to hit the mark of His purpose and calling on our lives. We are not an assembly line of people with the same automated parts. We have been uniquely crafted for His purpose. You are, in fact, custom-made.” [Evans p53]
Remember “All Hands On Deck”? It’s a slogan that comes out of the world of ships and sailing. All Hands On Deck - something critical is happening; we’re at a crossroads; we need everyone on deck, whether you’re on duty or not. Your help is needed. Everyone’s help is needed.
We learned some powerful lessons this summer.
You’re spiritually gifted, so you CAN serve
You’re spiritually gifted, so we NEED you
All Hands On Deck was our summer theme here at Buffalo. All Hands On Deck. We learned some powerful lessons from God’s word this summer, didn’t we? We learned that everyone is spiritually gifted, so no one can say they can’t serve. Put positively, you’re spiritually gifted you CAN serve. We also learned that because we’re all spiritually gifted, that means we need every one of you. No one should be left out; no one should feel unimportant; no one should be uninvolved.
And you stepped up. Do you remember that Sunday where we announced that we had almost next to nothing for youth and kids for the coming year? When the service was over, and by the end of the week, we had just a few positions still open. You stepped up. But the other side of this is that God is moving in our midst. You stepped up because the Spirit who helped the disciples here moved in our midst to challenge and convict and encourage. All Hands On Deck. No one on the sidelines.
Now the question is, do we see that in our text? That’s a fair question.
Here’s what we’re going to do. A little verbalizing activity. I’m going to read Acts 2:1-4 on the screen. That’s my part. Your part is to chime on the words that are highlighted. The point is to see how many references there are in the text to everyone, all, each one, entire, etc.
Acts 2:1–4 (ESV)
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.
All Hands On Deck. I think it’s there. Do you?
Clearly Luke wants us to understand that the Holy Spirit rested on and indwelt every believer present. No one was omitted or left out. God isn’t like the people who didn’t want to pick you for sport teams in middle school. He wants every single one of His children involved in His mission. What is that mission? It’s our memory verse for October. Acts 1:8
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Every single member of the church of God is indwelt by the Spirit of God that each one of us may engage in the mission of God for the glory of God.
You don’t think you can do it?
300 Quotations for Preachers from the Modern Church (Elevated by the Holy Spirit)
The Spirit of God carries us not beside ourselves, but above ourselves, upholding our human weakness along heights where we never could walk alone...and filling us with his own mighty desires for the rescue of souls and the redemption of the great sin-laden earth.
In sending the Helper, in sending the Spirit, God fulfills His promises, He reveals His power, and He accomplishes His purpose.
Conclusion and call for response
Conclusion and call for response
How should I respond?
Receive Christ as Savior and Lord (Ac. 2:37-38)
Become a member
Get active in serving (Luke 22:27)
So let me give you two ways you can respond to the message this morning.
First and most importantly, if you haven’t received Christ as Savior and Lord, if you haven’t trusted in Him for your salvation, nothing you’ve heard this morning really applies to you and therefore none of it really matters. What good does it do for us to talk about the Helper and all that He does for us if He doesn’t even live inside? And if you don’t belong savingly to Christ, He doesn’t live within you.
After the first sermon in the book of Acts, those listening said “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter answered by saying “Repent, and be baptized each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of sins; and you will receive the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:37-38 NASB). It’s my prayer this morning that you would ask that question, “What shall I do?” And if the Lord shows you that you don’t belong to Him, that you would repent and be forgiven and receive the Helper we have talked about this morning. Don’t leave here today, if this is you, without finding me or Pastor Shawn or Frank Hord or someone you belongs to Jesus who you trust and get the issue of your salvation settled.
Second: If you’re here this morning and you’ve been visiting for a while, but you haven’t joined, the next step for you is to join the church. Joining the church, becoming a member of our church, is important because in doing so you’re sending the message that “I am going all in with my local church because Christ expects me to be an active part of His body on earth.” You’re saying, “I’m not going to do the fear-of-commitment thing here. Jesus’ beauty and glory and worth are too weighty and His gospel is too good for me to keep standing on the edges.” So become a member if you haven’t.
Plug in and serve if you haven’t already. Why should you plug in and serve? Because Jesus has served you. “I am among you,” Jesus declared, “as one who serves”. And if our Master can serve us, we have no good reason not to serve one another. How can you and I not serve the One who has sent us the Helper? How can we not want to pour ourselves out for the One who in sending the Helper has fulfilled His promises and revealed His power and accomplished His purpose? We do want that, don’t we? Because in sending the Helper to live within us as our permanent possession, God has essentially given us Himself. Will you stand with me as we pray?