Festival of Weeks
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Artist Michael Kalish created a structure and hung 1300 speed bags in what look like a random order.
Picture of Speed Bags
But if you position yourself in the right spot, something amazing happens. The speed bags which looked like they were random start to align and form a picture. It becomes immediately apparent that there was no randomness at all, but each bag was carefully placed to show you the bigger picture.
Picture of ALI
As we study Acts 2 this morning, I want you not to lose sight of the majesty of God and how perfectly he positioned everything and that if you are positioned through Christ in alignment with God, you get a glimpse of who He is, and the perfection of His plan.
28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
But when you focus on each problem, each failure or fault of your own or others, you begin to think, “It’s all ruined.”
1 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.
They - 120 gathered in the upper room.
Luke throws it out there, like everyone already knows what that means. “Pentecost”
It is a Greek word that doesn’t appear anywhere in Scripture before this, and only appears two other times after this.
So what is Pentecost?
Meaning 50th.
It comes from the Jewish holiday - Shavuot (Festival of weeks) Which comes on the Sunday seven weeks after the Passover.
7 x 7 = 49. The next day is the 50th day.
So What?
Passover - The Jewish Holiday is the celebration of God passing over His people saving them from His judgement, but only if they painted their door post with the blood of the unblemished lamb.
We Know!
Jesus was Crucified during the Passover and was referred to as the Lamb of God. He was our perfect sacrifice for sin.
Yeah, We Know!
Passover also corresponds with the the first fruit of the season, Barley.
the harvest lasted 7 weeks and the celebration of the Harvest of wheat. (Shavuot) was the celebration of the Harvest.
Jesus is the first fruit and you are the wheat....or the chaff.
1 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.
2 And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.
The wind and fire represent God’s power and guidance.
In Exodus God led His people with a pillar of clouds by day (tornado) (wind)
and a pillar of fire by night.
Rested on each one of them.
That is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit on each of them.
Everyone in that upper room were believers.
When they got together, there was no need for an alter call. They were bought and paid for with the blood of Christ.
Speak with other tongues (as the Spirit was giving them utterance.)
The Holy Spirit didn’t give them the gift of tongues that they would then turn on an off. Every word was from the Holy Spirit.
This was only the people in the upper room. The wind and fire were only visible to them.
5 Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven.
Festival of Weeks was a festival that brought people from all over.
One of three pilgrimage festivals.
Passover (Pesach)
Festival of weeks (Shavuot)
Feast of Booths (Sukkot)
Many Jews would see Christ Crucified and raised from the dead, and the promise of the Holy Spirit fulfilled.
6 And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together, and were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language.
7 They were amazed and astonished, saying, “Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans?
8 “And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born?
The miracle was in the speaking. Those filled with the Holy Spirit, but the benefit of the miracle was in the hearing.
God’s gifts are not for your benefit. Your reward will come later, but the immediate benefit if for those who have not yet received the Holy Spirit.
Verses 9, 10 and 11 are a list of people that were there. They were from all over and verse 10 says they were Jews and proselytes. That is Jews that were born Jewish and those that converted to Judaism.
Vs. 11 about all these people said, “we hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God.”
The gift of the Holy Spirit is not only for the benefit of the lost, but also for the purpose of praising God.
12 And they all continued in amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, “What does this mean?”
13 But others were mocking and saying, “They are full of sweet wine.”
Two responses to those that witness the power of the Holy Spirit.
Seeking God.
Rejecting God.
Big Questions
Big Questions
Why don’t we seem to receive the same power of the Holy Spirit that they did?
How does the Holy Spirit help us?
What can we do to access the power of the Holy Spirit?
What if I have never experienced the power of the Holy Spirit?
It is my belief the Miracles center around a new revelation of God.
Creation
Elijah
Moses
Jesus
The Acts
Only about 120 miracles recorded in the Bible.
How the Holy Spirit helps us.
26 In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;
27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,
Communion with God!
3. What can we do?
Step One: Admitting Our Inability to Pray
Step One: Admitting Our Inability to Pray
He helps us in our weakness, but do you ever even admit that you are weak?
Step Two: Enjoying Living Communion with God
Step Two: Enjoying Living Communion with God
One of the key differences here between praying in the flesh and praying in the Spirit is that you don’t feel the need to rush to say anything when you pray in the Spirit. The living reality the Spirit creates is the awareness of God’s presence. Experiencing his presence will seem much more important than any petition you are going to make.
Step 3: Pleading with Holy Boldness
Step 3: Pleading with Holy Boldness
It is not “naming and claiming it.” It is not a spoiled child demanding it. It is a humble child going to their Father that knows 1. He loves you, and 2. will listen to you, and 3. will give you exactly what you need.
What if you have never experienced the peach and power of the Holy Spirit?
38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.