The Mission: Studies In The Book Of Acts
#3: Empowered To Witness
September 27, 2006
Acts 2:1-4 1When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.
The Context...Pentecost...the house...Together doing what
A. Pentecost...Feast of Weeks...definition...literally the 50th day
B. Together in the house...the same room of 1:13?...not conclusive...what they did is more clear1. NIV Application Commentary (Ajith Fernando)
2. 40 days with Jesus...taught them (1:3-4)...10 days of gathered prayer (1:14)
1. Jim mentioned last week: Joined together (homothymadon)...unity of spirit (15:25)
2. Praying...community of disciples (men and women)...120...they have no idea what's coming
A. Heaven sent...suddenly...noise...violent rushing wind...filled the whole house...
1. Gathered in a home...sitting together waiting...praying...their prayers are interrupted
2. Allusions to wind represent the Holy Spirit...dry bones (Ez. 37:9-14)
3. Tongues of fire...they rested on each one of them...not only audible but visible
B. Filled with the Holy Spirit...notice is doesn't say "baptism" but...Jesus clarifies in 1:5
1. "filled with the Holy Spirit" in Acts (4:8, 31)...continual...Spirit baptism is a one-time event
C. Tongues...two interpretations...foreign language...or spiritual language (I Cor 12)
1. Holy Spirit gives speakers supernatural ability to speak foreign languages
2. Holy Spirit gives speakers ability to speak spiritual language and hearers ability to hear their own languages
D. Filling of the Spirit enables tongues...not unintelligible...for what purpose?
Acts 2: 5 - 11 ... 5Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. 6And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. 7Amazed and astonished, they asked, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? 9Parthians, Medes, 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, both Jews and proselytes, 11Cretans and Arabs--in our own languages we hear them speaking about God's deeds of power."
A. Crowd gathers around the house...the noise from heaven attracted them...or disciples speaking?
B. bewildered, amazed, astonished..."Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans?"
1. Their accent gave them away...Peter (Mark 14:70)
C. Disciples are heard..."speaking of the mighty deeds of God."...
1. Praising God...God's mighty deeds...interesting what the filling was intended for...
12All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" 13But others sneered and said, "They are filled with new wine."
"What does this mean?"
A. Questions for them
1. Pentecost...Tongues...gospel for all...all the ends of the earth...did the Church understand?
B. Questions for us...What is baptism in the Spirit?...Is this different than being filled with the Spirit?...are tongues for today?...does the Holy Spirit work miraculously today?
1. Baptism in the Spirit: one-time event (1:5)...at conversion...Spirit takes residence
2. Filled with the Spirit...ongoing times referred to as "fillings" or "fell upon"...for all believers
3. Are Tongues for today?...Are they a necessary sign of being baptized in the Spirit?
i. Cessationist view: I Cor 13:8-10...closing of the apostolic age or canon
ii. Continuation: Acts 2:38... "the gift of the Holy Spirit" is promised to all
4. Summary thought: Both cessationists and non-cessationists build theology based upon experience.
C. Don't overlook the question: "What does this mean?"
1. Spirit's activity didn't answer a question, so often we mistakenly think Jesus wants give answers when He'd rather make us ask better questions.
A. Jesus loved to raise questions
B. Tim Keller: our goal is for someone to think, "Could this really be true?"
The promise that cannot be achieved or attained
A. It is a promise...not prerequisites...inclusive...unconditional...
God reinterprets Pentecost...Jesus' whole ministry was to remind them of the Story
A. Jesus reinterprets Passover..'all scripture written about him' (John 1)
B. The coming of the Spirit reinterprets Pentecost...the promised of the Father comes
C. Other great reversals
1. Pentecost: Gifts given vs. the Gift received...
2. Coming to God presence vs. God's presence coming to you...
3. Miracle of differing languages at Babel represents God's judgment against man's self-centeredness vs. miracle of differing languages represents God's grace for His glory
4. Jerusalem place of Jesus' death by the hand of the Jews...Jerusalem the birth of Jesus' continuing ministry through the Jewish church
Jerusalem was strategic...
A. How can God use St. Andrew's as a strategic place this year...for the future?
Two marks of the baptism of the Spirit (John Piper)
A. Praise emanates from one who is baptized in the Spirit, Acts 10:46 tongues and praise
B. Obedience marks the filling of the Spirit, Acts 5:29, 32