Pentecostal Power

ILL Notebook: Birth (calf birth) A man was helping one of his cows give birth, when he noticed his 4-year-old son standing wide-eyed at the fence, soaking in the whole event. The man thought, "Great, he’s 4 and I’m gonna have to start explaining the birds and bees. No need to jump the gun, I’ll just let him ask, and I’ll answer." After everything was over, the man walked over to his son and said, "Well son, do you have any questions?" "Just one," gasped the still wide-eyed boy. "How fast was that calf going when he hit that cow?" Well, that is a mystery! But the truth is… Birth is a mysterious thing. Many of us have had the experience of waiting for that baby to be born. We come up to the due date, and he or she shows quite an unwillingness to leave their place of comfort, no matter how uncomfortable the mom is. Babies tend to come on their own timetable. As we come to our passage today in Acts 2, we observe that the birth of the church happens on God’s timetable. In our recent study of Acts 1, we discovered that… The apostles received instruction to wait for the baptism of the Holy Spirit (1:4-5). Acts 1:4-5 “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” NIV

Acts 1:4–5 NIV84

4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

The baptism of the Holy Spirit was not something they could cause. It was only something they could wait for. The only way they were going to be successful was because of the Holy Spirit. So, they needed to wait. And in the meantime… The believers prepared themselves for ministry. We learned that the believers in Jerusalem were obeying Jesus’ instructions. They were waiting on His leading, anticipating what was to come. They were submitting to His authority, uniting together in mind and heart. And they were praying always. And the Holy Spirit did come. And the Holy Spirit came because they prayed…right? Actually, no. The Holy Spirit came, not because the believers prayed, but because He was promised. So we find… In today’s text, the church has its official start. This is affectionately known as the birthday of the church. And nothing has ever been quite the same since. And it is here, right away that we learn some very important things about the nature of being a Christian. It is this…

DISCIPLES OF JESUS ARE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT

But how does this happen? Well… We will find in Acts 2:1-13 three steps that describe how the church began and how disciples of Jesus are filled with the Spirit, the Power of God. I told you that we would get to the power chapter! I. The first step that describes the beginning of the church is the EVIDENCE (1-4).

Evidence of the Beginning of the Church

Acts 2:1–4 (NLT)

Acts 2:1–4 NLT

1 On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. 2 Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. 3 Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. 4 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.

1On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place.

2Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting.

3Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them.

4And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.

On the Israelite calendar, Pentecost follows fifty days after Passover. Passover was a picture of death and the work that Jesus did on the cross on our behalf. So really, Pentecost becomes a picture of new life. Pentecost was a culminating feast of harvest, an offering of first fruits. And it is on this Pentecost that we observe the first fruits of the believers’ promised inheritance—the Holy Spirit. But that is not all. We also observe the first fruits of the full harvest of believers to come. As we mentioned before, the Spirit does not come because He is prayed down. The sovereign timing of God is the cause of the Spirit’s descent. We cannot make the Spirit come. He is not our bellhop to answer when we call. And as our text shows, there is an element of surprise that makes this event so tremendously exciting. We find here that there were three signs that gave evidence of God on the move. The first was… 1. There was the miracle of sound(a blowing of violent wind).

There was the Miracle of Sound

This was not a weather phenomenon. Clearly, the witnesses to the event did not know how to describe it. So Luke has to report it that it was like a rushing wind or a windstorm. It was so utterly beyond their grasp of understanding. It was not like anything they had ever experienced before. This reminds me of the story of Ezekiel and the dry bones. As God orders him to, He prophesies for the Spirit, the wind, to come. And He does. And as He comes, the Spirit fills the dry bones with new life. To the Hebrew mind, I think this has to come into play. As they hear this wind, it is a sign to them that new life has arrived. The second sign was… 2. There was a miracle of sight(tongues of fire).

There was a Miracle of Sight

Again, Luke has to report what has never been experienced. It is not a literal fire, but it is like fire, above them. Perhaps it would remind them of the burning bush, signifying the Divine Presence. Or perhaps it would remind them of the cleansing power of God’s Presence as observed in Isaiah’s commission. Either way, they have to recognize that God is with them. His Presence is unmistakable. The third sign was… 3. There was a miracle of speech(speak in other languages).

There was a Miracle of Speech

God gave them the ability to speak languages that they did not know. I do want you to note that they did not have to be taught how to speak other languages by reading a book or attending a seminar. No one needed to be coached. No one had to develop the gift by repeated practice. It happened because the Spirit was there. He was in total control of the situation. These believers simply received what He gave. II. The second step that describes the beginning of the church is the EFFECT (5-11).

Effect of the Beginning of the Church

Acts 2:5–11 (ESV)

Acts 2:5–11 ESV

5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. 7 And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, 11 both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.”

5Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven.

6And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language.

7And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans?

8And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language?

9Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,

10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome,

11both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.”

We must get this right… 1. The “tongues” in this passage on the day of Pentecost were known languages.

Pentecostal Tongues were Known Languages

We know this by the people’s response. First, they consider this all a real mystery, for they recognize by the accent that these are Galileans. It was easily recognized and it probably shocked the sophisticated city dwellers. Everybody knew that Galileans were uneducated. But here they were, speaking in native languages. This long list of places is a fair representation of the world as it was known then. So here they were…uneducated Galileans speaking the languages of the world…speaking and being understood. Their speech was immediately recognized. And what they were finding is that… 2. God was fulfilling His promise by supplying the power and the ability to reach the ends of the earth.

God Supplies the Power and Ability to Reach the Lost

The uttermost parts of the earth had come to Jerusalem! God had provided the ability of languages to demonstrate that His love and concern was more than just a Jewish concern. God’s desire was for all the world. So God does what only He can do. He miraculously advances the spread of the gospel. The curse of Babel is reversed. ILL Notebook: Evangelism (sales) A passenger jet was suffering through a severe thunderstorm. As the passengers were being bounced around by the turbulence, a young woman turned to a minister sitting next to her and with a nervous laugh asked, "Reverend, you’re a man of God, can’t you do something about this storm?" To which he replied, "Lady, I’m in sales, not management." That is good advice for us to remember. Managing this world is God’s business. Our business is winning souls, which we do by God’s power.

Our Business is Sharing the Gospel by God’s Power

3. When we are filled with the Spirit, our concern turns outward.

When Filled with the Spirit, our Concerns are Turned Outwards

Just as these believers did, we are to proclaim the truth of the greatness of God. For them, this event was filled with wonder. They must have been overwhelmed with His greatness which spilled out in praise. I enjoy how John Piper describes this event: The flames on their heads had set fire to the knowledge of God, and turned it into passion. And the violence and the loudness of the wind had drowned all the puny voices of doubt and uncertainty. And so every remnant of timidity and hesitance and weakness is swallowed up in the experience of God’s greatness. And a tremendous boldness and courage and zeal was unleashed as they gave witness to the greatness of God. III. The third step that describes the beginning of the church is the EXPLANATION (12-13).

The Beginning of the Church Demanded Explanation

Acts 2:12–13 (ESV)

Acts 2:12–13 ESV

12 And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”

12And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?”

13But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”

1. Many responded with genuine interest ready to investigate this phenomenon.

Some Respond with Interest

The text describes a scene of astonishment here. There are people listening here that are amazed and bewildered. In the language of today, I think Luke would have said, “It blew their minds.” It hit them so hard, they were stunned and staggered. So the text continues to tell us that they sought for a solution. The thoughts were literally running through their minds. They were determined to investigate and figure out what this phenomenon was. 2. Others were skeptical to the point of mocking.

Some Respond with Skepticism

They were filled with mockery and ridicule. They dismissed it all. They must be drunk was their explanation. It reminds me of… ILL Notebook: Skepticism (6 inches of water) A teacher was doing her best to discredit the miracles of the Bible. She said, "Take, for instance, the crossing of the Red Sea. We know this body of water was only 6 inches deep." Immediately from the back of the room came the remark, "Praise God for the miracle!" Annoyed, the teacher asked, "What miracle?" "Well," explained the student, "the Lord must have drowned the whole Egyptian army in just 6 inches of water!" No matter how ridiculous it may seem, the only thing that seems more ridiculous is the rationalization. The idea that these believers were drunk was an unintelligent conclusion. Their speech would be worse, not better. 1. If you are a believer, you have been baptized by the Spirit into the body of Christ (I Corinthians 12:12-13).

If You are a Believer, You have been Baptized by the Spirit

The apostle Paul writes… 1 Corinthians 12:12–13 (NLT)

1 Corinthians 12:12–13 NLT

12 The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. 13 Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.

12The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ.

13Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.

When the Spirit came on these believers in the upper room, it was a uniform, sovereign work of God. And God made them into one spiritual body. They became, in that instant, the Church. It is an unrepeatable act of history. This means we do not ask for another Pentecost, just as we do not ask for another Calvary. That would be ridiculous and insulting. In the same way, we do not ask to be baptized by the Spirit over and over again, for when we are baptized in the Spirit, God places us into the body. The Spirit is in us. If you are a believer of the Lord Jesus here today, that is already a reality. You have been placed into the Church. 2. As disciples of Jesus, we are to give evidence of being filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18).

As Spirit Filled Disciples of Jesus, We are to Give Evidence of being Filled with the Spirit

Paul again writes… Ephesians 5:18 (ESV)

Ephesians 5:18 ESV

18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,

18And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,

More accurately, the translation ought to be, “be being filled with the Spirit.” It is to be continuous. And note it is a command! There is to be fresh, continuous filling. 3. As disciples of Jesus, we are to have a heart that is turned outward (I Corinthians 9:16).

As Spirit Filled Disciples of Jesus, Our Hearts Should be Focused Outward

Paul so well reflects this when he writes… 1 Corinthians 9:16 (ESV)

1 Corinthians 9:16 ESV

16 For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!

16For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!

When the Spirit comes upon us and we are filled, we have hearts that are turned outward. You see, Pentecostal power is not about tongues. It is about the harvest. There are people that need to hear the good news. They need to be told. 4. As disciples of Jesus, we are to expect opposition.

As Spirit Filled Disciples of Jesus, we should Expect Opposition

As in our text today, some will inquire, and others will oppose. But more importantly… 5. As disciples of Jesus that are filled with the Spirit, we are freed to minister.

As Spirit Filled Disciples of Jesus, we are Freed to Minister

We are free to speak His Word by the power of the Spirit. We are able to go beyond human limitations. We can reach the unreachable.

We can make strong stands with fresh convictions, for there is a living hope that burns within us. Because of the Spirit, we can carry our faith across barriers of culture, race and nationality. God gives us a greater concern for the welfare of persons around us. That’s the difference He makes in us when we are filled.

So…are you filled? Because when you are, what seems impossible is not. Because when you are, people that need Christ are going to find Him.