New Beginnings part4 (Acts 2)

The Birth of the Church

New beginnings part 4 (Acts 2)

We are in the middle of a series, New Beginnings.

2022 is a year of New beginnings, 2020 and 2021 were years of shutdowns and many deaths, questions and confusion for many people, some lost family members, friends, some lost their business their live hood, others lost their dreams and hopes.

During this series let’s observe what happened right after Jesus Resurrection. A new beginning for all who followed Jesus.

The birth of a community, the birth of the church

We are on the 2 chapter of Acts

Act 2:1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

Pentecost, In Judaism the Festival of Weeks (Hebrew: שבועות Shavuot) is a harvest festival that is celebrated seven weeks and one day after the first day of Passover (the Feast of Unleavened Bread) in Deuteronomy 16:9

Deu 16:9 "You shall count seven weeks for yourself; begin to count the seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the grain.

Deu 16:10 Then you shall keep the Feast of Weeks to the LORD your God with the tribute of a freewill offering from your hand, which you shall give as the LORD your God blesses you.

Now has become the most important day in Christian history the birth of the church.

Act 2:2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.

Act 2:3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.

Act 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Act 2:5 And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven.

Act 2:6 And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language.

Act 2:7 Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, "Look, are not all these who speak Galileans?

Act 2:8 And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born?

Act 2:9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,

Act 2:10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes,

Act 2:11 Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God."

Act 2:12 So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "Whatever could this mean?"

Act 2:13 Others mocking said, "They are full of new wine."

Act 2:14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them: "Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be explained to you; listen closely and pay attention to what I have to say.

Act 2:15 These people are not drunk, as you assume, since it is [only] the third hour of the day (9:00 a.m.);

Act 2:16 but this is [the beginning of] what was spoken of through the prophet Joel:

Act 2:17 'AND IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST DAYS,' says God, 'THAT I WILL POUR OUT MY SPIRIT UPON ALL MANKIND; AND YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY, AND YOUR YOUNG MEN SHALL SEE [divinely prompted] VISIONS, AND YOUR OLD MEN SHALL DREAM [divinely prompted] DREAMS;

Act 2:18 EVEN ON MY BOND-SERVANTS, BOTH MEN AND WOMEN, I WILL IN THOSE DAYS POUR OUT MY SPIRIT And they shall prophesy.

Act 2:19 'AND I WILL BRING ABOUT WONDERS IN THE SKY ABOVE AND SIGNS (attesting miracles) ON THE EARTH BELOW, BLOOD AND FIRE AND SMOKING VAPOR.

Act 2:20 'THE SUN SHALL BE TURNED INTO DARKNESS AND THE MOON INTO BLOOD, BEFORE THE GREAT AND GLORIOUS DAY OF THE LORD COMES.

Act 2:21 'AND IT SHALL BE THAT EVERYONE WHO CALLS UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD [invoking, adoring, and worshiping the Lord Jesus] SHALL BE SAVED (rescued spiritually).' [Joe_2:28-32]

The new relationship Jesus wanted for the disciples, for you and me to have with Him, is by His Holy Spirit, His prayer in John 17 we and the trinity becoming one.

3 important truths about the Holy Spirit as we enter this new relationship with Him. community, church, begins in you.

1 The Holy Spirit

All powerful

Gen 1:1 In the beginning God (Elohim) created [by forming from nothing] the heavens and the earth. [Heb_11:3]

Father, Son and the Holy Spirit created the Heavens and the earth. The God head the trinity. The triune God created Heaven and earth.

I just finished a book by Jack Deere “why I’m still surprised by the power of the Spirit”, he said gen 1:1 is one the most difficult bible verses, if you can embrace it, the rest is easy.

The Holy Spirit is the one who brought Jesus from the dead. All powerful.

Rom 8:11 And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, who lives in you.

Sometimes when we are sharing the gospel with someone or praying for them and they begin to tear up, or they can’t stand on their feet, because they feel the power of God, remember that is not because of us, of you, yes the Holy spirit is using you, but the revelation they are experiencing and the power that is coming over them, is the power of the Holy Spirit in your life. When we begin to take credit for that we get in to trouble.

With the Holy Spirit there is nothing impossible, He can heal any disease, He can destroy any demonic hold, he can restore any of our body limbs, He can raise people from the dead.

Mat 15:30 Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus' feet, and He healed them.

Some of the other translations replace maimed or change to lame but the right translation is maimed.

Ex: Some years ago our friend Ron Smith was praying for a line of people after a sermon, he was praying for a guy with a tooth ache when someone down the line began to jump and run and praise God, when he asked what happen the people told him, this man didn’t have one leg. He was rejoicing.

2 The Holy Spirit is All knowing

1Co 2:10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.

1Co 2:11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.

The Holy Spirit knows our hearts very well, and He knows Gods heart, God’s secrets and plans we can learn from the Holy Spirit.

He will lead us into all truth

Joh 16:13 But when He, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth [full and complete truth]. For He will not speak on His own initiative, but He will speak whatever He hears [from the Father--the message regarding the Son], and He will disclose to you what is to come[in the future].

Joh 16:14 He will glorify and honor Me, because He (the Holy Spirit) will take from what is Mine and will disclose it to you.

Joh 16:15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Because of this I said that He [the Spirit] will take from what is Mine and will reveal it to you.

Peter talks about King David

Act 2:25 For David says concerning Him: 'I FORESAW THE LORD ALWAYS BEFORE MY FACE, FOR HE IS AT MY RIGHT HAND, THAT I MAY NOT BE SHAKEN.

Act 2:26 THEREFORE MY HEART REJOICED, AND MY TONGUE WAS GLAD; MOREOVER MY FLESH ALSO WILL REST IN HOPE.

Act 2:27 FOR YOU WILL NOT LEAVE MY SOUL IN HADES, NOR WILL YOU ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO SEE CORRUPTION.

Act 2:28 YOU HAVE MADE KNOWN TO ME THE WAYS OF LIFE; YOU WILL MAKE ME FULL OF JOY IN YOUR PRESENCE.'

Act 2:30 Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne,

Act 2:31 he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption.

Act 2:32 This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses.

Act 2:33 Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.

Act 2:34 "For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: 'THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, "SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND,

Act 2:35 TILL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES YOUR FOOTSTOOL." '

Act 2:36 "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."

The only way David would know this is because the Spirit of God revealed to him.

3 All loving

1Jn 4:8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

He will remind us of the words of Jesus, and fill our hearts with His love

To share the gospel, we need the love of God in our hearts, there are people that we find easy to love, there are others that only the Holy Spirit will give us the grace to love. He will move upon us giving us new insight or compassion.

Joh 14:26 But the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor--Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will help you remember everything that I have told you.

Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to have an intimate relationship with us to begin birth His church

In this relationship He wants for us to know Him as

All powerful

All Knowing

All Loving

To start a new, we need to make Jesus the Lord of our lives

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Joh 3:16