The Explosion Of The Spirit Series

Text: Acts 2:1-13, Title: The Explosion of the Spirit, Date/Place: NRBC, 5/27/07, AM

A. Opening illustration: Read portions of the accounts of the Great Awakenings in the 1730’s from Edwards

B. Background to passage: As you know the disciples have been waiting and praying for 10 days on the promise of Jesus. They were gathered together in a room in one accord looking for what Jesus had said would come. And being a fairly controversial passage of scripture, or rather intensely debated and variously interpreted, I want you to keep three things in mind that are the context of what takes place today. First, Jesus told them that the Spirit would come from the Father after his departure and would testify of Him (John 15:26). Second, Jesus told them that when the Spirit came, they would be endued with power in order to be witnesses to Me (Acts 1:8). Third, the Pentecost was a feast of the gathering of the firstfruits of wheat, and so God’s timing was perfect. So the two overarching jobs of the Spirit are to witness to Christ, and empower others to witness. Next week we will take a long look at the filling of the Spirit and speaking in tongues.

C. Main thought: So in our text this morning we will look at the Spirit’s coming, and the implications for us

A. It was supernatural (v. 2-3)

1. The coming of the Spirit was accompanied by signs and wonders that were meant to indicate its supernatural origin and supervision. Suddenly gives us the grand truth that the Spirit comes when He is sent by God. No indication here that the believers were praying for the Spirit. The Gr and Hb words for wind and spirit are both the same, so it is natural that the sound heard was like a mighty rushing wind. Then with cloven tongues of fire, the Spirit visibly manifested himself upon the 120.

2. Ezek 3:12-13, 37:9-10, Matt 3:11, 1 Thess 1:5, 1 Cor 2:4

3. Illustration: “The supernatural is the native air of Christianity,” “Thousands of clergy and laity lack the manifestation of the supernatural power of God in their lives because they are afraid to trust God completely,” –Leslie Summeral, the joke that if the Spirit left, some churches wouldn’t know it,

4. We can’t look upon Acts 2 as something that happened a long time ago, never to be repeated. But we must look at it as an indication of the Spirit’s power in the life of our church today. It is pretty consistent throughout history and scripture that the Spirit moves in special seasons of mercy. Acts 2 is a good pattern for revival in our day. How does it happen? The Spirit comes and moves among us. Another question that arises is: if we are those that claim to have a relationship with a supernatural being, claim to be indwelt by the Holy Spirit, how is it that we meet weekly, and rarely ever see anything supernatural? Shouldn’t the church be a hub of extraordinary activity? It is not only something for the first couple of centuries of the church. And it wouldn’t have to be fire on our heads or supersonic booms, but what if we prayed for those that persecuted us, or love one another unconditionally?

B. It was evangelistic (v. 4)

1. Again, we will talk more about tongues next week in detail, but evidently in this passage the word glossa means languages. And what took place at the Feast of the firstfruits is a harvest of souls. They began to hear the wonders of God in their heart language. Jews from every nation were hearing the gospel! And they could probably all speak Greek, but God spoke to them in a miracle through uneducated Galileans. Remember, this was the purpose of the power through the Spirit! We’ll talk more next week, but note that every time the Spirit fills someone in the book of Acts, almost immediately the Word is boldly proclaimed.

2. Rom 15:18-19, 1 Pet 1:12,

3. Illustration: “It’s a shame that the term Pentecostal Power is more associated with speaking in tongues than with world evangelization.” – Piper, “Could it be that we know so little of the Spirit in any powerful way because we care so little for evangelism?” – Michael Green, Paul Harvey said, "Too many Christians are no longer fishers of men but keepers of the aquarium."

4. Would you like to know where the power comes from to accomplish Acts 1:8? Not through the mission boards, through the Coop Prog, not through denominational leadership, nor from the church budget…but from the Holy Spirit of God. And the power is still here. If we would get full of the Spirit in our personal lives, evangelism would happen! Why, because we couldn’t help but speak of the things that we have seen and heard! If the bulk of our churches would get under the filling or control of the Spirit, the GC might be soon fulfilled. Don’t claim to be filled with the Spirit, if evangelism is not happening in your life!