The Reaction To A Changed Life Series

THE REACTION TO A CHANGED LIFE

Acts 2:1-13 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. 5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs--we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!" 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this mean?" 13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, "They have had too much wine."

INTRODUCTION: THE PASSAGE BEFORE US TODAY IS THE UNDISPUTED BIRTH OF THE CHURCH. AND THIS BIRTH IS ACCOMPLISHED IN A VIBRANT, EXCITING MANNER. SO MUCH SO THAT IT IS EVIDENT TO THOSE NOT PART OF THE PROCESS. SO GREAT IS THIS BIRTH, THAT THOSE IN PROXIMITY COME TO FIND OUT WHAT HAD HAPPENED.

SO, IN OUR TIME TOGETHER TODAY, LETS LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED WHEN THE CHURCH CAME INTO BEING, AND IF THERE IS SOME SIMPLE TRUTH WE CAN TAKE AWAY FROM THIS VERSE.

I THE EVENTS SURROUNDING THE BIRTH OF THE CHURCH

A THE ASSEMBLY OF THE FAITHFUL

1 OCCURRED DURING THE DAY OF PENTECOST

2 ONE OF THE THREE GREAT PILGRIMAGE DAYS FOR THE JEWISH PEOPLE.

3 PASSOVER WAS THE FIRST, AND TABERNACLES WOULD BE THE THIRD

4 BY THIS TIME IN HISTORY, PENTECOST REMINDED THE JEWISH PEOPLE THAT GOD HAD GIVEN THE LAW TO MOSES

5 KIND OF INTERESTING THAT GOD IS NOW ABOUT TO GIVE SOMETHING ELSE TO THE PEOPLE ON THIS DAY!

6 NO ONE WAS EXEMPT – EVERYBODY IS GOING TO GET IT!

7 THE MINISTRY OF CHRIST AND THE MINISTRY OF THE CHURCH ARE DEPENDANT ON IT (THE HOLY SPIRIT)

8 THIS WOULD MARK A NEW INTIMACY AND PERSONAL CLOSENESS THAN WE EVER HAD BEFORE

John 14:17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

B THE COMING OF THE WIND

1 IT IS BLOWING AND VIOLENT – SPEAKING OF THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

2 WIND IN AND OF ITSELF WAS A SYMBOL OF THE PRESENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

3 WIND WOULD ALSO BE SYMBOLIC OF THE CREATIVE ACTIVITY OF GOD THE SPIRIT.

Genesis 1:1-3 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 3 And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.

4 WIND OR BREATH IS WHAT GOD GAVE TO MAN THAT BROUGHT HIM PHYSICAL LIFE AND MADE HIM DIFFERENT FROM ALL OF GOD’S OTHER CREATION.

Genesis 2:7 the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

a MAN WAS JUST AS DEAD AS EVERYTHING ELSE UNTIL GOD BREATHED INTO HIM

b THE BREATH OF GOD MADE MAN A LIVING BEING

5 BEING BORN OF THE SPIRIT (WIND/BREATH) WAS NECESSARY FOR SPIRITUAL LIFE

John 3:5-8 5 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."

a SPIRIT WAS NECESSARY IN ORDER FOR SOMEONE TO BE BORN AGAIN – LIKE THE FIRST TIME.

b JUST LIKE GENESIS (PHYSICAL LIFE WHERE THERE WAS NO PHYSICAL LIFE) – SPIRITUAL LIFE WHERE THERE WAS NO SPIRITUAL LIFE!

6 ONE OTHER THOUGHT CONCERNING WIND/BREATH FROM THE SCRIPTURES