From The Upper Room To Flora, Ms

“FROM THE UPPER ROOM TO FLORA, MS” Acts 2

FBCF – 6/8/25

Jon Daniels

INTRO – Water tower taken down a couple of months ago. Changed the landscape of Flora.

A lot has changed in this town over the years, especially recently. And a lot more change is coming (projected that 10,000 more people will be living in this area in the next 10 yrs). A lot has changed in this church since 1887. And a lot more change is coming. And b/c of these realities, I felt led to change msg for today. Started “Life Songs” series in Psalms last week & will get back to the Psalms. But I really believe we need to take a look at what “CHURCH” is supposed to be all about.

- Going to look at when & where the Church started

- Why the Church is so important

- The components that are evident in a Spirit-filled Church. The lost world needs a Spirit-filled Church b/c a Spirit-filled Church points people to Jesus – not to personalities, people, positions, & programs – but to JESUS! None of those other things can save you! Only JESUS can!

- What that specifically looks like here in Flora, MS, w/ this body of believers.

That’s why message is entitled, “From the Upper Room to Flora, MS” b/c what happened there in Jerusalem 1992 years ago has a direct impact on what MUST happen here in 2025 & in the years to come.

EXPLANATION – Acts 2

Outline of Acts 2 – Divided into 4 parts:

#1 – The coming of the Spirit – v. 1-13

- Promised by Jesus – Acts 1:8

o John 14:16-17 – “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth”

- Manifested by the sound of the “mighty rushing wind” (pneuma & ruach – Gk & Heb words for breath or wind – the Holy Spirit), the tongues of fire (fire speaks to presence of God – His burning holiness & purity), & the speaking in other languages (known languages so all those who were present could hear & understand the Gospel – v. 5-12)

o It’s obvious when the Spirit shows up!

o And there will always be naysayers & doubters & mockers – v. 13

#2 – The preaching of the Gospel – v. 14-36 – Peter, filled w/ the Spirit, took advantage of the opportunity to preach the Gospel to all those who were present. And he brought it!

- Not watered down – Not politically correct – Not worried about whether or not he would offend anyone - & there were plenty of people there who could’ve been offended – people who had lived in Jerusalem their whole lives, & those who had come to town for the Pentecost festival.

- V. 22-24 – YOU KILLED HIM! But, that’s ok b/c GOD RAISED HIM UP – v. 32

#3 – The moment of salvation – v. 37-41 – “Now when they heard this…” – This is why the sharing of the Gospel is so important. Lost people MUST hear it, from those of us who are vocational preachers & those of you who are not.

- Romans 10:14 – “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?”

When they heard the Gospel, “they were cut to the heart” – “cut” – Gk word means “deep pain, sorrow, & conviction.”

- Hebrews 4:12 – “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul & of spirit, of joints & of marrow, & discerning the thoughts & intentions of the heart.”

- The Holy Spirit takes the sharp, 2-edged sword of the W of G, & pierces their hearts & shows them their desperate condition, their hopeless condition, their sinful condition.

- He still does that same thing today!

And the ONLY right response when you are cut to the heart w/ the conviction of the Spirit is to repent & turn to Jesus! Then be baptized as an act of obedience & to proclaim to the world that you now belong to Jesus.

- Water is in the baptistery today for anyone who needs to be baptized!

The next steps for believers – v. 42-47 – The normative activity for the 1st century Christian was to be saved, get baptized, then connect w/ the Church. And that is the same process for Christians today – Get saved – Get baptized – Get connected to the Church.

- Have you taken the first step & gotten saved?