Acts - Lesson 7

This week we study the impact of Peter’s sermon. This is the first sermon of the Church, as the Church, under the leading of the Holy Spirit, in the fullness that Christ promised. Peter used three main Scripture references and other verses in his mode of speaking. Remember that we should continue to see empowering, purification, revelation, and unity. If the Holy Spirit is guiding then you have those and if you don’t have those then something is wrong in the life of the individual or in the life of the local body of believers. If something is wrong then your inclination should be to seek God for answers.  

Acts 2:37-41 … Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”  And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

The conviction of the Holy Spirit will always “cut to the heart” and they asked what they should do since they were responsible for the death of Jesus. Peter responds with 1) repent or turn from your former path of sin to a new path of obedience, 2) be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for forgiveness since all other forms of purification are null and void, and 3) you’ll receive the Holy Spirit and that will change the way you live. Three thousand believed in one day without a radio, television, or even amplification.

We are some of those who are far off. We are nearly 2000 years and many thousands of miles from Jerusalem but the promise is for us.

I was looking at some pictures from an archeological dig near the retaining wall that is called the “Wailing Wall” in Jerusalem. They uncovered a ritual baptism pool near the steps leading up to the Temple Mount. It was buried under stones thrown down from the Temple Mount during the destruction of the Temple in AD 70. Water would flow through the pool. It was about 3 feet deep and they had a staircase divided into an up staircase and a down staircase so that they could have a steady flow of traffic. This was a regular process so you could go through the ritual bath and go up and offer a sacrifice for sin in the Temple. What a blessing it is to know that we were in Christ baptized and passed through that wrath of God for sin in the only way we could. We don’t get baptized over and over again. It is a finished work. We get baptized once in the name of Jesus. He is our righteousness. We are justified in Him and all the generations and all those far off are all justified in Him. When the real thing is present then the shadow and images need to go. The old Temple had to go because the real Temple was Christ and He had finished His work.  

Acts 2:42-47 … And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Empowerment, purification, revelation, and unity were produced by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The Invisible Church was born. In other places, Ezekiel and Peter call the Church a Holy Nation (Ezekiel 19:6; Peter 2:9).  As Isaiah 66:8 says we were, “brought forth in one moment.”

They were devoted to Scripture with the Apostles teaching those who were saved and they fellowshipped together. Signs and wonders continued to confirm the authority of the Apostles.

The description reminds me of a group of people getting ready for a very long trip. They were going to be sent out. Persecution became a terrible thing for the Church and gave the name for witness a new meaning; witness came to mean martyr. We’re getting ready for a trip too and we should live like it. Some of us live like we’ll be able to ship our stuff to heaven. You don’t see hearses pulling U-Haul trailers. One of my uncles was a very rich man. He managed every aspect of his funeral by setting things up ahead of time. He arranged the Episcopal Church as a spot for his funeral and paid for everything. He even anticipated that some people would show up at the funeral home to desecrate his corpse and gave instructions that prevented that. But he left it all here. He lived for this earth. We live and die like grass of the field and to put nothing into eternity is truly foolish. The Bible tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Psalm 111:10), is wisdom (Job 28:28), is clean (Psalm 19:9) endures forever (Psalm 19:9), the beginning of knowledge (Proverbs 1:7), hatred of evil (Proverbs 8:14), prolongs life (Proverbs 10:27; Proverbs 19:23), produces strong confidence (Proverbs 14;26), makes a refuge for your children (Proverbs 14:26), turns you from evil (Proverbs 16:6), is riches and honor (Proverbs 22:4), and our delight (Isaiah 11:3) so that we will walk in the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Spirit we seek to share the Gospel (Acts 9:31; 2 Corinthians 5:11).

The “awe” is the Greek word φόβος from which we get the word phobia. It can also be translated fear and is translated as fear. The effect of what God was doing filtered into every nook and cranny of their lives. I generated fear, awe, and an exciting desire to please God. This is as you would expect from a godly fear of the Lord. It doesn’t paralyze but it does purify. In fact it is a delight and motivation to share the Gospel. It is not a bad thing but rather a smart thing.

These verses summarize the core activities of Christian discipleship. The disciples didn’t develop these things by themselves. These things were taught to them by Jesus and they taught them to those that the Lord was adding to the Body of Christ.

1)    Teaching about who Jesus is (Matt. 16:18, 19; Luke 24:46),

2)    Teaching about how they should live (Matt. 5–7),

3)    Fellowship (John 13),

4)    The Lord’s Supper—the breaking of bread (Matt. 26:17–30), and

5)    Prayer (Matt. 6:5–13; Luke 11:1–13; John 17).

Sharing the Gospel was a natural part of living for the whole Church. The Church was being used by God to reach out and He was adding to the Body of Christ daily.

John Stott identifies four marks of the Spirit-filled church and it all centers on relationships.

1)    First, they were related to the apostles (in submission). They were eager to receive the apostles’ instruction. A Spirit-filled church is an apostolic church, a New Testament church, anxious to believe and obey what Jesus and his apostles taught.

2)    Second, they were related to each other (in love). They persevered in the fellowship, supporting each other and relieving the needs of the poor. A Spirit-filled church is a loving, caring, sharing church.

3)    Third, they were related to God (in worship). They worshiped him in the temple and in the home, in the Lord’s Supper and in the prayers, with joy and with reverence. A Spirit-filled church is a worshiping church.

4)    Fourthly, they were related to the world (in outreach). They were engaged in continuous evangelism. No self-centered, self-contained church (absorbed in its own parochial affairs) can claim to be filled with the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a missionary Spirit. So a Spirit-filled church is a missionary church.

God continued to use miracles to affirm the ministry of the Apostles and the Cross as the only way of salvation.

Acts 3:1-11 … Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour (3pm). And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple. Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. And leaping up he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God, and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. While he clung to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astounded, ran together to them in the portico called Solomon’s.

They were on the east side of the Temple in a section built by Herod the Great. There was no doubt about the authenticity of this healing. The man had been lame from birth and everyone knew him and had seen him all his life. He couldn’t even get to his spot to ask for alms without assistance. Peter and John told the lame man to look at them. That would mean that he was going to get something. Those who wouldn’t give him anything wouldn’t look at him either. Instead, those who were going to pass him by would look the other way. Even those giving money wouldn’t necessarily make eye contact. So to be told to look at them – to make eye contact – was surely different. The lame man would have been sure he was going to get something. So then Peter says, “I have no silver or gold” and that would have cause the lame man to look away. However, then Peter gives him more than he ever hoped for by healing him. There is an old story from the Renaissance period that may or may not be true. It goes like this: Thomas Aquinas was in Rome walking along the street with a cardinal. The cardinal noticed a beggar, pulled out a silver coin, and gave it to the beggar. Then he turned to Aquinas, the great doctor of the church, and said, “Well, Thomas, fortunately we can no longer say, as Peter did, ‘Silver and gold have I none.’” Thomas replied, “Yes, that is true. But neither can we say, ‘In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.’” The power of the Holy Spirit for healing is one thing we need but more than that is the power of the Holy Spirit for salvations.

Peter and John were in a spot where Jesus had taught about His divinity and the purpose of His signs and wonders. It must have been staggering for Peter and John to walk into this place where Jesus taught and to be prepared to confront the same opposition. 

John 10:23-30 … and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not part of my flock. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”

This man heard the Shepherd’s voice. It was Peter talking under the anointing of the Holy Spirit but the voice he heard was Christ’s call to healing. His lame condition was a condition that had existed from his birth. His dead legs were thought to be the product of sin. Our dead heart is also a spiritual condition that exists from birth. We are born with original sin and it corrupts us and we live the way we want to live … in sin. The lame man was unable to enter into the Temple worship even though he was as near as the gate and he was satisfied with that because it was all he had ever known. However, to the lame man, and to us, Jesus says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” In fact, Jesus goes on, just in case you’re thinking that Jesus in His humanity is making the claim of eternal security. Jesus says, “My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”

Can you rest in that? I can rest in that. God gave me as a love gift to Christ. I heard His voice. He knows me. I follow Him. He gives me eternal life. I’ll never perish. No one can take me from Him. The wind of the Holy Spirit blew one day and my dead heart came alive and I was born of His Spirit. The lame man’s reaction reflects our joy of salvation. Walking, leaping, and praising God for making the dead become alive while he clung to Peter and John.

Acts - Lesson 6

This week we are in the middle of a sermon preached by Peter. This is an evangelistic sermon for religious people. Notice how Bible and Christ centered this sermon is. We’ll see various sermons and teachings in Acts and we can try to learn from them. The Holy Spirit had made the apostles ready and in particular had prepared Peter to preach this sermon. Peter uses multiple Scripture texts and does an exposition of the meaning of each text.

Peter first quotes from Joel 2:28-32 showing the impact of the Holy Spirit to empower, purify, reveal, and unify. The main point that Peter draws from Joel is that the promise is now fulfilled in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Keep watching as the Holy Spirit empowers, sanctifies, reveals, and unifies. These are all actions of the Holy Spirit and that how we “see” Him. Like the wind. When you see tree leaves moving you don’t think they are moving apart from the wind. Some children who are untaught think that when trees move that they make the wind blow. We can make a similar mistake if we see spiritual power, a life that is holy unto God, doctrinal fidelity to Scripture, and unity in Christian fellowship and assume that makes the Holy Spirit move. We actually have the cause and effect backwards because of our self sufficiency. 

I don’t like admitting that. I’d like to think that anytime we want to do it then we could have a revival. Some false teachers over the last couple of hundred years have argued that is the way it is. However, having seen little sparks of the real thing, they may as well try to convince me that the trees make the wind blow. Jesus told the disciples that, “the poor in spirit” were blessed because they would have the “kingdom of heaven.” The poor in spirit are beggars. The word actually means crouched over. It is to be bent over in humble supplication. We are lousy beggars. The reason we are lousy beggars is because we beg like Pharisees. Since we were children we were taught all the errors of the Pharisees and we would never fall into their errors … or would we? We don’t tell God that we can’t go on without the Holy Spirit. Do we wake up and in our quiet time tell God that if he doesn’t empower us then we must stay home? Do we seek to make every part of our lives holy unto Him? Or do we forget about Him of hours or days at a time? Even a minute is too much. If the main reason for my existence is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever then how long can I forget about Him and it not be counted as sin? When some teachings of Scripture are difficult is it OK to avoid thinking of them? As I asked last week, would it be OK to call your wife by the wrong name or complement her on a hair color she doesn’t have? Doctrinal fidelity to Scripture is evidence of intimacy. To say of God what He has said is true is evidence that you are His. Christian unity is not an optional extra bonus. We don’t break unity over preferences. It is a hard thing to walk out because even redeemed sinners drive redeemed sinners crazy. There are times to separate ourselves from other folks over doctrine but in our age, doctrinal ignorance makes that a relatively rare action.

So when we enjoy the benefits of the Holy Spirit in our fellowship then we can try not to argue that the trees made the wind blow. We can at least assume the role of a beggar. Or maybe you can pray to be willing to be a beggar. Or willing to be made willing? At whatever point we are we can, by the grace of God, see the path God has laid out for us.

Peter had been made a beggar. He wasn’t looking at the leaves moving and thinking that they were driving the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:22 … “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know—

Peter points out why Jesus did miracles. They were a testimony of God to confirm the ministry of Jesus. Many of these folks saw the miracles and they were all aware of the signs and wonders that had been sent to say, “This is the Messiah!” and yet they had ignored the message and killed the messenger.

Acts 2:23-24 … this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.

Last week we talked about the work of God in three persons as the Father plans, Jesus acts, and the Holy Spirit applying salvation. God saves sinners. Peter acknowledges the sovereign rule of God in the crucifixion but makes it clear that the sinful liability remains with the men who did this thing.

Chapter 5 Paragraph 4 of the 1679 Baptist Confession of Faith says, “The almighty power, unsearchable wisdom, and infinite goodness of God, so far manifest themselves in his providence, that his determinate counsel extendeth itself even to the first fall, and all other sinful actions both of angels and men; and that not by a bare permission, which also he most wisely and powerfully boundeth, and otherwise ordereth and governeth, in a manifold dispensation to his most holy ends; yet so, as the sinfulness of their acts proceedeth only from the creatures, and not from God, who, being most holy and righteous, neither is nor can be the author or approver of sin.” ( Romans 11:32-34; 2 Samuel 24:1, 1 Chronicles 21:1; 2 Kings 19:28; Psalms 76;10; Genesis 1:20; Isaiah 10:6, 7, 12; Psalms 1:21; 1 John 2:16 )

So our Baptist ancestors were careful to agree with Scripture as Peter says this same thing by the power of the Holy Spirit. This is a key to trusting God with our lives. If we affirm Scripture then we will affirm that even “lawless men” are bounded, ordered, and governed by God’s multiple methods of bringing order to this world. This is not a small point when we see evil prosper in this world and have our faith shaken. It is His providence that has me teach on this topic for the 10th anniversary of the events of Sept 11, 2001. God is sovereign in every detail. There is no atom in the universe outside His sovereign bounding, ordering, and governing. That is a hard thing to affirm when we see evil but it is harder to deny Scripture. In fact, as we’ve discussed before, if you think there is one atom outside God’s sovereign control then you really, fundamentally, don’t believe in God. Fundamentally, it makes you an atheist … you’re not really believing in God. You do not believe in a god just because you just believe in a really powerful being. The Romans were in this situation and we’ll see Paul hit some of these problems head on … as did some of the early martyrs.

Peter affirms God’s omnipotence and omniscience in the work of Christ. First Peter points out that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit was promised and then that Christ was crucified according to the plan of God by lawless men. Now he will establish that these things had occurred because of prophecy.

Acts 2:25-31 … For David says concerning him, “ ‘I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope. For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’
     “Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption.

Peter continues to preach with this portion of Psalm 16 as his second set of Scriptures. With this crowd, Peter only has to point out that David wrote the Psalm but that it must be prophecy because David is dead, buried, and if you want to see how decayed he is then go check out his tomb. David believed God’s promise that he would have a descendent perpetually on the throne.

We also live in a sure hope supported by the resurrection. David looked forward and prophesied that the Holy One would not see corruption. We look back and see that the Holy One did not see corruption. For both Old Testament and New Testament saints we say together as in Psalm 16:1-2, “Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.” And in Psalm 16:5-6, “The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.” The faith in Christ alone for our salvation without clinging to anything else is our foundation. The expressed joy in the portion we have is beautiful. We have it all because of the Holy One.

Acts 2:32-36 … This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, “‘The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.’ Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

Peter witnesses to the resurrection and the central role it has in confirming that Jesus was the Holy One, the Messiah, and that His sacrifice was accepted on our behalf. Peter is also explaining the events of Pentecost. Here Peter’s third Scripture reference is to a verse (Psalm 110) that Jesus used to trouble the Pharisees (Matthew 22). Who is Lord with the Lord says to my Lord? It can’t be David. Peter, under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, builds from the promise of the Holy Spirit, through the signs and wonders, to the death, resurrection, and ascension to the witness that Jesus is the Holy One. He is the Messiah.

Memory Verse 2 Corinthians 9:6-8

This week’s Fighter Verse (http://www.hopeingod.org/resources/scripture-memory/fighter-verse-program) is as follows:

2 Corinthians 9:6-7 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Giving to bless and minister is both focused on the future and sacrificial. The picture that Paul uses in these verses is applicable to seeds that are also used for food. These seeds are not like the seeds of an apple or cherry that are good for producing trees. We don’t eat those sorts of seeds. The illustration that Paul uses is of a grain crop. It is your daily bread and you are being called to bury a portion of it. You are called to trust God for the care of the crop and for its increase at harvest time. To plant a field with fewer seeds than are needed is not wise. The window of opportunity is there for only a little while. When too little seed is planted, even a fertile soil will not produce a good crop. The crop's growth will not be able to make up for the initial lack of faith on the part of the planter. In fact, it becomes a season long testimony to the lack of prudence on the part of the planter. Planting more at a later date will not erase the sparingly planted crop – grown full of weeds – standing in the field for all to see.

God calls on us to plant bountifully and expect a bountiful increase. We are called on to be prudent, faithful, and joyous in our giving. Planting my garden is a happy time because of the expectation of harvest. Giving to others should also reflect our expectation of the Father’s blessing.

Acts - Lesson 5

Last week we discussed the importance of the wind and fire as representations of the Holy Spirit and that in the beginning of the Church we see God moving in a special way to shepherd His flock through His flock. That is made possible through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. We don’t speak about Him as much as God the Father and God the Son. I want to begin with Acts 2:4

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

The promised Holy Spirit Acts chapter 2 is shown by 2 symbols and those symbols are wind and fire. The Holy Spirit then enabled the preaching of the Gospel in multiple languages. Just by way of review, 1) God is three persons, 2) each person is fully God, and 3) there is one God (one essence). This is not a contradiction. We find from Scripture that God is three in person but one in essence. While it is not a contradiction it is OK to say that it is complex. We desire simplicity but this is what God is pleased to reveal about Himself and so we need as great a fidelity to Scripture as we can manage.

We stay inside the lines when we remember all three biblical teachings and then we don’t fall into;
   1) Modalism or Sabellianism or Monarchianism
        a. Teaching there is one God who pretends to be three
   2) Arianism
        a. Denies deity to Son or Holy Spirit
   3) Subordinationism
        a. Son has deity but is less than God the Father
   4) Adoptionism
        a. Jesus was a man until adopted/empowered as the Son
   5) Rejection of the Filioque Clause (1054)
        a. Eastern Church denies Holy Spirit is sent from both Father and Son
   6) Tritheism
        a. Denies that there is only one God

An important concept is that the three Persons of the Trinity have different roles in relating to creation. If you use economy in the old fashioned way to mean, “ordering of activities” then you can say that in the economy of the Trinity, the three Persons have different ways of acting in creation.

Even in the relatively specific topic of redemption the functions are distinct. God the Father plans and sends the Son for redemption (John 3:16; Galatians 4:4; Ephesians 1:9–10). The Son obeys and accomplishes redemption (John 6:38; Hebrews 10:5–7). The Father and the Holy Spirit did not come and die for our sins. The Son died for our sins. After the ascension, the Holy Spirit was sent by the Father and the Son to apply redemption. 

The Son and the Holy Spirit are equal in deity, attributes, and essential nature to God the Father, but they are subordinate in their roles. This not a temporary state of affairs but is the eternally existing state of affairs (1 Corinthians 15:28).

Grudem quotes Berkof:

“The Trinity is a mystery … man cannot comprehend it and make it intelligible. It is intelligible in some of its relations and modes of manifestation, but unintelligible in its essential nature … The real difficulty lies in the relation in which the persons in the Godhead stand to the divine essence and to one another; and this is a difficulty which the Church cannot remove, but only try to reduce to its proper proportion by a proper definition of terms. It has never tried to explain the mystery of the Trinity but only sought to formulate the doctrine of the Trinity in such a manner that the errors which endangered it were warded off.”

So why do we worry about it? I could just say that if God has told you something then you are responsible for knowing it. However, it is far more serious than that. If you fall into a false belief about God and teach it and try to worship while misrepresenting God then you’ll be in deep trouble. If I fail to warn you about these relatively common errors that will wreck your worship and relationship with God then I’ll be in deep trouble.

Grudem says the “work of the Holy Spirit is to manifest the active presence of God in the world, and especially in the Church.” In the Church age the Holy Spirit is that essential driving power we need to accomplish the work God gives us to do. The Father has planned, the Son has begun, and the Holy Spirit completes and sustains. In the process of completing and sustaining the Holy Spirit;

    1) Empowers
        a. Gives physical and spiritual life (Psalm 104:30)
        b. Gives power for service (1 Samuel 11:6; Acts 2)
   2) Purifies
        a. Put off sin and put on the fruit of God (Matt 3:11; Galatians 5:22-23)
   3) Reveals
        a. Prophets and Apostles (John 16:3)
        b. Evidence of God’s Presence (John 1:32; Acts 2:2-3; John 7:39)
        c. Guides and directs God’s people (Acts 8:29; Galatians 5:18)
        d. Manifests God in convicting, blessing, and ordering us and our lives
        e. Assurance (Romans 8:16)
        f. Teaches and Illumines (John 14:26; John 16:13; Ephesians 1:17-19)
   4) Unifies
        a. God works in a community of people (Ephesians 4:3)

When the Holy Spirit works we must not forget that we as the people of God are not otherwise empowered, purified, spiritually aware, or unified. It isn’t automatic; it is the work of the Holy Spirit. We can grieve the Holy Spirit by an inappropriate response or by our lack of response.

In the Book of Acts we continually see the Holy Spirit at work to preach the Gospel and glorify God. Even in verse 4, right after the wind and fire, we see people empowered to preach, purified from their old sinful fears and weakness, revealing the Gospel in multiple languages, and certainly working in unity as we see the Church growing.

Acts 2:5-13 … Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”

The devout men from every nation under heaven were likely in Jerusalem for Pentecost. As we mentioned a few weeks ago, it was the Feast of Pentecost or Shabhu’oth. That is the Feast of Weeks (counting the time until the Torah is given) and a celebration of the wheat harvest (Festival of Reaping) and a celebration of the gift of the Torah or the Word of God to Israel. So it is harvest time and a celebration of God giving His Word to His people. That sounds like the perfect time for the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The devout men from every nation heard the Gospel in their own languages and without a Galilean accent. There are 15 nations listed. I don’t think this was a loud simultaneous yelling. The Holy Spirit brings order so each language was probably shouted out loudly but clearly. The languages had a purpose. The Holy Spirit was preaching and not just making a loud noise. It was harvest time and the Word was really present in power. 

The disciples were visible, perhaps only as a result of the sovereignty of God but clearly they were not shut up in a room without windows. They were loud enough to be heard and seen. They had to be seen for the visitors to Jerusalem to recognize them as Galileans by their clothes since they were speaking the languages of the visitors.

The more cynical among the group suggested that those speaking were drunk and it was mostly likely a way to ignore and devalue the worship and instruction they were hearing in their own language.

Acts 2:14-15 … But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day.

It is encouraging to see Peter beginning to step into fulfilling the charge that Jesus gave him after the resurrection (John 21:15-19). Peter is charged with feeding and tending to Christ’s sheep. I’m sure he was doing this in the days leading up to Pentecost but here we have Luke’s record of it. Also, the point of it being the third hour of the day (9 am) is that you would fast until the fourth hour of the day (10 am). Peter wasn’t arguing that they were not a bunch of pagan drunks who didn’t know how to get up and get drunk by 9 am like any college student. Peter was arguing that they were obviously Galilean and obviously Jewish in Jerusalem on Pentecost for the feast. They were fasting just like everyone else until 10 am.

Acts 2:16-21 … But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: “ ‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

Peter quotes from Joel 2:28-32 showing the impact of the Holy Spirit to empower, purify, reveal, and unify. Peter didn’t have the power to preach like this before when he was simply a scared fisherman. Peter was purified for this purpose and the mouth that denied Christ is now confessing Christ. Peter can understand Old Testament Scripture in order to explain the Gospel. Peter can preach because he is part of a unified body of believers some of whom I’m sure the Holy Spirit had praying while he was preaching.

Peter preaches, and we should share the Gospel, in a Bible centered sermon. It is likely that Peter and the others with him had been focused on the verses in the Old Testament with direct bearing on the work of Christ and the Gospel. In part they were directed by Christ in His teaching – especially after the resurrection – to read the Old Testament that way. In addition, the Holy Spirit would have been laying the ground work through illumination so Peter and the others could see clearly what God had placed in Scripture. Peter reads a text and then expounds on the meaning of the text.

The Book of Joel is not a happy book. It is grim and deals with God’s judgment on Israel. Things are bad and the crops are failing. In that day, failing crops meant that someone would go hungry, not be well, or even die. How many of you are worried about a drought? Our grass gets brown but the coolers at the Grocery store still look great. That was not the way it was. Joel says it is bad and it is going to get worse but in the middle of the book he gives the best Old Testament description of Pentecost. Be sure to understand “Last Days” correctly. We are so stuck on “Left Behind” that we get left behind when Scripture tells us what Scripture means. The term “Last Days” has multiple meanings in Scripture and here it means the last days prior to the introduction of the Church at Pentecost. God is doing a radically different thing here that what was done before.

Representatives of the 120 or so people with Peter had just prophesied in at least 15 languages to the people present in Jerusalem. I think that the context of Joel – regarding God’s judgment – would lead you to conclude that the blood, fire, vapor, darkened sun, and moon of blood before the day of the Lord would be pointing at AD 70 when Jerusalem was judged. The promise that Peter states is a clear call to Jerusalem for repentance and to cry out for mercy from God. They only had about 35 years left and it would go by quickly. Some would repent and cry out to God and some would not. Joel says, “And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the LORD has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the LORD calls (Joel 2:32).”

Regardless of where you place the blood, fire, vapor, darkened sun, and blood red moon … we know that this offer of salvation as a result of the blood of Christ is our charge as we preach the Good News of reconciliation with God. Compassion for the lost should be a part of our everyday lives and prayer for the Holy Spirit to give us a part in the harvest should be part of our daily prayers.

Memory Verse James 1:12

This week’s Fighter Verse (http://www.hopeingod.org/resources/scripture-memory/fighter-verse-program) is as follows:

James 1:12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

To be blessed is to be deeply and righteously happy. To be blessed is to take joy in those things that bring God joy. As we face trials we are lifted up and carried through the trial by the grace and mercy of God. We can stand in the trial because we stand in Him who is our strength and helper. The Holy Spirit doesn’t just provide good advice. The Holy Spirit also goes with us and in us with greater intimacy in our trials than we can imagine or verbalize (Romans 8:26). So the profound happiness of being blessed after being steadfast comes to us with the understanding that the Father’s constant love in our life carried us. When my son was small we would walk and he would hold my hand. When there was an obstacle to overcome I would tell my son to hold tight and he would grip my little finger as we approached the puddle or curb or hole in the ground. As he gripped my little finger with his strength, my hand would close around his wrist and lift him – often with his feet off the ground – until the obstacle was past. It isn’t our feeble grip that takes us through the trial. It is God’s unfailing grip. James knows this and just a little further along reminds us that, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.” James 1:17–18.

Being brought forth by His will and word of truth makes me want the crown of life even more. It doesn’t represent my achievement except in the sense that I’ve submitted to working out my salvation with fear and trembling because it is God at work in me to will and to do His good pleasure (Philippians 2:12-13). To take credit would be like arguing that my son could actually fly over puddles or fly up a staircase! In other words it would be forgetting the father. I want the crown because it represents the love and work of the Father in my life. In the crown, I can have a gift from Him that represents His gift of my life (1 Corinthians 4:7; Romans 11:36). We must never forget to glorify God in the blessedness that results from being steadfast in a trial. If we can win crowns then I trust that someday then we can also follow the lead of the twenty-four elders and cast our crowns before the throne and confess, “Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they existed and were created.” Revelation 4:11.