Empowered for the Mission

We are still looking at the series Instructions for the church, as we look at the Book of Acts, this morning we will begin looking at chapter 2.

This morning we will examine the first four verses of chapter two as we look at Empowered for the Mission.

This is the day of Pentecost the reason it is called the day of Pentecost is because Pentecost means fiftieth which is fifty days from the Day of Passover.

It has been fifty days since Jesus died and rose again, he spent 40 days on earth after his resurrection, and then the disciples had to wait for ten days to get to this day, and so it has been fifty days.

Pentecost is actually the Feast of Weeks or the Harvest Feast, that the Jews celebrated, and was accompanied by the offering of first fruits.

Therefore, Jews would make their way to the temple in Jerusalem to give of this offering, thus there were a lot of people in the city on the Day of Pentecost.

If you are able would you stand with me for the reading of God’s Word.

Acts 2:1–4 CSB

1 When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying. 3 They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and rested on each one of them. 4 Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them.

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The early church had none of the things that we think are so essential for success today: buildings, money, social status; and yet the church won multitudes to Christ and saw many churches established throughout the known world. Why? Because the church had the power of the Holy Spirit energizing its ministry. The people were those who were ignited by the Spirit of God.

That same Holy Spirit power is available to us today to make us more effective witnesses for Christ. The ministry of the Spirit is to glorify Christ in the life and witness of the believer.

Here in the second chapter of Acts we make a turn. In chapter 1, the disciples were waiting for the Holy Spirit’s coming; now in chapter 2 He has come. In chapter 1, the disciples were equipped; in chapter 2 they were empowered. In chapter 1 they were held back, in chapter 2, they were sent forth. In chapter 1 the Savior ascended; in chapter 2, the Spirit descends. The fulfillment of the promise of the Father is now a reality.

The coming of the Holy Spirit marks the beginning of the church age.

I. The Event of Pentecost. V. 1

Acts 2:1 CSB

1 When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place.

I already mentioned that Pentecost is fifty days after Passover, which if I figured it right would fall on June 5th this year. Pentecost is the Feast of Weeks or Harvest Feast, it is when the Jews brought the first fruits offering.

The first great feast was the Passover. The killing of the Passover lamb pictured the death of Jesus Christ, the ultimate Passover Lamb.

John 1:29 CSB

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

Jesus was the Lamb of God who was sacrificed in order to take away the sins of each and every person that will except that sacrifice, He has freely done it for you and for me, but we have to accept it, we have to accept that Jesus has done it for us, that we may be forgiven of our sins.

On the day of Pentecost there was 120 individual believers in the upper room, they had went into that upper room as individual people, but they had been praying in unity, but after the Holy Spirit came upon them, they left that upper room as one body of believers. Individuals went up, and a church came down.

II. The Savior’s Promise. V. 2

Acts 2:2 CSB

2 Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying.

This verse is the fulfillment of Acts 1:5

Acts 1:5 CSB

5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit in a few days.”

Then back when Jesus was still in his ministry He told the disciples that he would have to leave but that he would pray to the Father to send another Helper to them

John 14:16–20 CSB

16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. 17 He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive him because it doesn’t see him or know him. But you do know him, because he remains with you and will be in you. 18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you. 19 In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Because I live, you will live too. 20 On that day you will know that I am in my Father, you are in me, and I am in you.

God the Father sends the Holy Spirit, verse 2 says, suddenly, this emphasizes the element of surprise. Even though the disciples had been in the upper room waiting for this very moment, and praying faithfully, Luke writes a sound like that of a violent rushing wind, this could have sounded like a tornado, as it says a violent rushing wind, but we must understand that wind is frequently used to represent the Holy Spirit in Scripture.

In the Greek and Hebrew wind and spirit are the same word.

This sound could have possibly been heard throughout the city of Jerusalem but the Holy Spirit only filled the room and the people that were gathered in that upper room, that was the 120 disciples, those committed followers of Jesus Christ.

As Jesus had told them in chapter one that they would be baptized with the Holy Spirit in a few days, to be baptized with the Spirit is a figurative meaning to be identified with. The baptism of the Spirit is that act of God by which He identified believers with the exalted Head of the church, Jesus Christ, and formed the spiritual body of Christ on earth. Historically, this took place at Pentecost; today, it takes place whenever a sinner trust Jesus Christ and is born again.

Therefore, baptism of the Spirit is defined as that act of Christ by which He placed believers into His body. It is sovereign, simple, unrepentable act on God’s part. The purpose of the baptism of the Spirit is not to divide the body of Christ, but to unify it.

Ephesians 4:4–6 CSB

4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope at your calling—5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.

We are empowered to to come together in unity for the mission of God, the gospel of Jesus Christ, to the unbelieving world.

III. The Spirit’s Presence. V. 3

Acts 2:3 CSB

3 They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and rested on each one of them.

Fire in Scripture speaks a lot of times of judgment, but here it represents presence. Just as it did in the burning bush with Moses.

Exodus 3:2 CSB

2 Then the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire within a bush. As Moses looked, he saw that the bush was on fire but was not consumed.

The audible manifestation of the Spirit which was the violent rushing wind, now has come with a visual one: tongues as of fire.

The tongues rested on each of them, showing that all who were present received the Spirit. This is similar to when Jesus came out of the water when John the Baptist baptized Jesus in Matthew 3:16-17

Matthew 3:16–17 CSB

16 When Jesus was baptized, he went up immediately from the water. The heavens suddenly opened for him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased.”

Here the visual presences of the Spirit of God was the dove, but now on the day of Pentecost it was tongues of fire, that rested on each person, showing that each person has received the Holy Spirit.

By receiving the Holy Spirit, they were all made into one spiritual body, the body of Christ.

This mysterious baptism in symbolic flame embraced them all equally. The humblest, unknown, unnamed believer in that company had just as much of this baptism and filling of power as the foremost among the disciples, that is the least of them had just as much power from the Holy Spirit as did Peter, James, and John.

We are all empowered with the Holy Spirit to do the work of the ministry, which is to go forth and make disciples of all nations.

IV. The Spirit’s Power. V. 4

Acts 2:4 CSB

4 Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them.

They were then all filled with the Holy Spirit - the baptism of the Spirit grants the power that the filling with the Spirit unleashes.

When we are saved, we are baptized or empowered by the Holy Spirit, but we are to be filled with the Holy Spirit over and over, which turns that power on.

The filling of the Spirit is repeated according to the Book of Acts and Ephesians 5:18

Ephesians 5:18 CSB

18 And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit:

Peter and others were filled with the Spirit again in Acts 4:8

Acts 4:8 CSB

8 Then Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders:

And also again in Acts 4:31

Acts 4:31 CSB

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.

Being filled with the Spirit is an experience and should be continuous.

Illustration with balloon:

If we are not filled with the Spirit, we must be emptied of ourselves by confession of sin and dying to self-centeredness.

Once they were filled with the Holy Spirit the disciples began to speak with different tongues, the Greek word there for tongues is glossa, which means other languages.

What was the purpose of the disciples being filled with other tongues - 1 Corinthians 14:21-22 tells us.

1 Corinthians 14:21–22 CSB

21 It is written in the law, I will speak to this people by people of other tongues and by the lips of foreigners, and even then, they will not listen to me, says the Lord. 22 Speaking in tongues, then, is intended as a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is not for unbelievers but for believers.

There were people gathered in the city of Jerusalem at that time for the feast, to give of their offerings and they were from all over the known world at that time. Therefore, people were of all different native languages, they may have spoke some Hebrew or some Greek, but their native tongue or language was not Greek or Hebrew.

Their forth in order for them to understand and hear everything, God through the power of the Holy Spirit, empowered the disciples to speak in other tongues, that is other languages.

The disciples began to speak in other known languages of the world, then the people that were in the city of Jerusalem at that time for the feast could here the message God had for them in their own native tongue or language.

And as 1 Corinthians tells us, the gift of tongues is not for believers, but for unbelievers, believers are already saved, it is the unbeliever that needs salvation, and God will do whatever it takes to give that unbeliever the opportunity to hear the Gospel message.

That even means empowering a person with the Holy Spirit to speak in a language that they have never spoken in before, in order that the lost person may hear the gospel message and be saved.

The main purpose of the gift of tongues/ languages was a sign of judgment to unbelieving Israel, showing that the church would encompass people from all nations and languages. The gift of tongues was, therefore, a sign of the transition between the Old and New Testament.

This was all taking place in order that the Gospel message may go forth to all nations of the world.

God has given every believer power, and we have seen that power, in the Greek language, the world is where we get our word dynamite from, so we have power like dynamite to go forth and share the Gospel message with unbelievers, that they may come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Our mission, our calling, which is for all believers, and God has empowered us for it, he is ready to fill us with the Holy Spirit to unleash that power to go forth in this world to make disciples of all nations sharing our Jesus story, as I shared with the men yesterday, it is simple, our Jesus story, is who you were before Jesus, how you met Jesus, and how Jesus has changed your life!!

If you are a born-again-believer in Jesus Christ, then you have a Jesus story, and yes it is always being updated, because Jesus should be constantly working in our lives, we are to be constantly growing in Christ, which is sanctification.

I know sometimes we think well my Jesus story is not that important, or I was young when I got saved, and I was raised in church, or I have always been a good person. But let me say, God has people out there to place in your path for exactly you to witness too.

Pray and ask him too open the doors of opportunity.

We have to be more committed to him and his mission, to the cause of Christ.