ACTS 2: 1-4 - PROMISE FULFILLED

Christian Standard Bible (Chapter 2)

2:1 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.

BIG IDEA: THE HOLY SPIRIT COMES TO TAKE OVER.

JERUSALEM WAS PACKED...

TRAVELERS HAVE ARRIVED FOR THE SECOND OF THREE PILGRIMAGES TO THE HOLY CITY.

IT’S PENTECOST: an annual spring feast at which the Jews presented the first-fruits of their wheat harvest to God

IN THE MIDST OF THE CHAOS OF TRAVELERS, THE NOISE OF ANIMALS, THE MOVEMENT OF HUNDREDS YE THOUSANDS,

120 AWAITING FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST GATHER TOGETHER IN THE UPPER ROOM...

REMEMBER: 1:14 They all were continually united in prayer, along with the women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

IT’S BEEN 50 DAYS SINCE PASSOVER...

50 DAYS SINCE THE RESURRECTION AND ASCENSION OF THE MESSIAH...

AWWW, IT’S BEEN A WEEK OF WEEKS (OR SEVEN WEEKS)...

THE FOLLOWERS ARE GATHERED...

THE BELIEVERS ARE WAITING...

AND THEN VERSE 2 SAYS, “SUDDENLY...”

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN SURPRISED BY SOMETHING, EVEN THOUGH YOU WERE WAITING FOR IT?

SUDDENLY OR “APHNO” IN THE GREEK, GIVES THE NUANCE THAT SOMETHING TOOK THEM BY SURPRISE...

WHAT CAUGHT THEM BY SURPRISE WAS A SOUND OF VIOLENT RUSHING WIND...

AWWW, BELOVED, THE SOMETHING WAS (IN FACT) A SOMEONE - THE SOUND IS NOW IDENTIFIED AS THE HOLY SPIRIT...

THEY KNEW HE WAS COMING, AND YET, THEY WERE STILL SURPRISED...

IT’S THE SUDDENLY THAT I CHERISH...

THE UNEXPECTED...

YOU SEE, CHURCH FOLK RARELY EXPERIENCE THE UNEXPECTED...

CHURCH FOLK RARELY JUMP AS A RESULT OF THE SPIRIT MOVING THEM...

THIS IS WHY WE MUST RELIVE THESE STORIES - THESE ACCOUNTS OF OUR FAITH.

WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED, SO THAT IT CAN IMPACT WHAT WE DO NEXT!

GREATER AWAITS THOSE WHO WAIT IN FAITH, AND ARE WILLING TO BE SURPRISED BY THE PRESENCE - POWER - AND PURPOSES OF GOD!!!

SUDDENLY…SUDDENLY…SUDDENLY....

THE FIRST SIGN WE HAVE IS A SOUND...

THE SOUND SOUNDED LIKE A VIOLENT RUSHING WIND...

NOT VIOLENT AS IN DESTRUCTION, BUT VIOLENT AS IN CAPTIVATING!

IT WAS ATTENTION GRABBING...

IT WAS FILLING....

YOU EVER BEEN FILLED BY A SOUND?

THE SOUND (SAYS THE TEXT) FILLED THE WHOLE HOUSE...

THE SOUND HAD SUBSTANCE...

THE SOUND HAD STRENGTH....

ILLUS: EVERY NOW AND THEN, ONE OF MY SONGS FROM THE 80’S COMES ON MY RADIO.

MY CHILDREN IMMEDIATELY ROLL THEIR EYES, CAUSE THEY KNOW DADDY IS ABOUT TO THROW DOWN...

WITH EACH VERSE IN MY FLOW...

EACH LEVEL OF MY RHYMING SKILLZ...

I FIND MY FINGER INCREASING THE VOLUME.

EVENTUALLY, THE SOUND OF MY 80’S JAM COMPLETELY FILLS THE SPACE OF MY CAR.

SO MUCH SO THAT CONVERSATIONS ARE IMPOSSIBLE...

WHEN MY 80’S JAMS FILL THE CAR, THERE’S NO ROOM FOR OTHER SOUNDS - NO OTHER VOICES...

THE HOUSE WHERE THEY WERE STAYING WAS FILLED WITH THE SOUND OF A VIOLENT RUSHING WIND...

THE SOUND OF THE WIND FILLED....

HERE IT IS: WHEN THE SPIRIT FILLS US, HE TAKES OVER!

AN INDICATION THAT WE ARE FILLED IS REVEALED IN WHO’S IN CHARGE!!!

WHO GUIDES YOU?

WHO IS GLORIFIED IN YOU?

SUDDENLY - SUDDENLY - A SOUND...

LET ME TEACH A LITTLE: THERE IS A BIBLICAL PARALLEL WITH ACTS 2 (OUR PASSAGE FOR TODAY), AND WITH EXODUS 19, IN WHICH MOSES (DURING PENTECOST) RECEIVES THE REVELATION FROM THE FATHER ON MOUNT SINAI - UH HAA - THE LAW! 16 On the third day, when morning came, there was thunder and lightning, a thick cloud on the mountain, and a very loud blast from a ram’s horn, so that all the people in the camp shuddered.

SO, WITH THE COMING OF THE LAW IN EXODUS, AND WITH THE COMING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (LOUDLY) IN ACTS 2, WE ENTER INTO THE NEW COVENANT IN OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD AND HIS CHURCH...

AS THE PEOPLE OF GOD STOOD ON MT SINAI, AND AS THEY GATHERED IN JERUSALEM - IT GOT LOUD!

BUT DON’T BE FRIGHTENED BY THE LOUDNESS OF THE LORD...

THE TEXT SAYS: THE SOUND CAME FROM HEAVEN!!!

WHEN HEAVEN SENDS THE SOUND, WE ARE FILLED....

BUT THE TEXT IS MOVING:

3. THEY SAW TONGUES LIKE FLAMES OF FIRE THAT SEPARATED AND RESTED ON EACH ONE OF THEM...

THE SECOND SIGN WAS A SIGHT!

IT’S SIGNIFICANT TO NOTE THAT NO ONE WAS UNTOUCHED...

EACH ONE OF THEM RECEIVED A FLAME RESEMBLING TONGUE…THAT SEPARATED AND RESTED.

IN LUKE 3:16 “16 John answered them all, “I baptize you with water, but one who is more powerful than I am is coming. I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

FLAMES OF FIRE. SEPARATED AND RESTED.

The picture here is of a wildfire spreading everywhere and consuming sin, bringing spiritual revival to the nations. It is a corporate movement but also completely personal, as the fire separates and touches every single person, causing fiery conviction to embrace each one and purify them in the Lord. -Osborne, Grant

BELOVED, THE PROMISE IS BEING FULFILLED...

THE HOLY SPIRIT IS FALLING - COMING - BEING SENT...

THE PEOPLE ARE HEARING AND SEEING...

CHURCH! THIS IS CHURCH!!!

Power can be used in at least two ways: it can be unleashed, or it can be harnessed. The energy in ten gallons of gasoline, for instance, can be released explosively by dropping a lighted match into the can. Or it can be channeled through the engine of a CAR in a controlled burn and used to transport a person 350 miles. Explosions are spectacular, but controlled burns have lasting effect, staying power. The Holy Spirit works both ways. At Pentecost, he exploded on the scene; His presence was like "tongues of fire" (Acts 2:3). Thousands were affected by one burst of God's power. But He also works through the church--the institution God began to tap the Holy Spirit's power for the long haul. Through worship, fellowship, and service, Christians are provided with staying power.

YOU SEE, BELOVED, WHILE THE SPIRIT COMING IS A DISTINCT EVENT…THE SPIRIT NEVER STOPS!!!

HE’S STILL SETTING PEOPLE ABLAZE...

HE’S STILL FILLING HOUSES WITH LOUDNESS...

AS A MATTER OF FACT, IS THERE ANYBODY IN THE HOUSE THAT’S WILLING TO PARTNER WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT AND MAKE SOME NOISE...

USE THE LANGUAGE OF THE BIBLE:

TELL HIM THANK YOU...

SAY HALLELUJAH...

SHOUT GLORY...

CLAP YOUR HANDS...

DO YOUR DANCE...

THE FIRST SIGN: A SOUND

THE SECOND SIGN: A SIGHT

Christian Standard Bible (Chapter 2)

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

THE THIRD SIGN WAS SPEECH!

TEXT SAYS THEY BEGAN TO SPEAK IN DIFFERENT TONGUES...

THIS IS A SIGN!

THIS SYMBOLIZES THAT SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY - SUPERNATURAL - WAS OCCURRING...

WATCH THIS: EVERY ONE WAS FILLED. EVERYONE SPOKE. EVERYONE WAS EMPOWERED/ENABLED.

IN PREVIOUS SEASONS, GOD’S PRESENCE RESTED CORPORATELY...

NOW, GOD’S SPIRIT RESTED INDIVIDUALLY...

GOD’S COMING WAS VISUAL AND AUDIBLE.

GOD’S COMING WAS SPIRITUAL AND PHYSICAL...

GOD’S COMING WAS POWERFUL AND REMARKABLE...

WHAT WE SEE IN ACTS 2 IS BOTH THE HOLY SPIRIT FILLING AND THE HOLY SPIRIT BAPTIZING…BOTH!

THESE BELIEVERS EXPERIENCE A SUPERNATURAL ENCOUNTER UPON WHICH GOD’S FILLS AND TRANSFORMS EACH ONE!

1000 Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching (Ask to Be Shaken)

Ask to Be Shaken

One day Theodore Roosevelt had been speaking sternly to his son, Kermit, and in desperation finally reached down to shake him. Whereupon Ethel, Kermit’s sister, touched her father’s arm and cried out, “Shake me, Father, shake me!”The church that wants spiritual power must ask to be shaken.