God's Idea Of Community Series

Recap a few ideas:

Acts is written for a person named Theophilus - what does that mean?

What did Jesus tell His disciples to wait in Jerusalem for?

The Holy Spirit is going to make us WITNESSES

Where will we witness - first at home (Jerusalem - Home) Then nearby (Judea - Lake County)

Cross cultural divides (Samaria - Hispanic?) Finally to the ends of the world - World Missions

What’s more important than knowing the specifics of Christ’s return? Accomplishing our MISSION

Luke details not only Jesus birth but the birth of the church

For the last time -all the believers were in one place. That happened to us in July. Video

Humbling thing, not by might or power or credentials - but by the spirit, wispy invisible

Sound of wind but no wind

Wind - at creation God blew the breath of life into Adam

One breath, one man, now thousands of people, mighty wind

Creation of the church has no explanation other than a miraculous one

Terry Talbot song - Mighty Rushing Wind

Tongues of fire - other tongues - God undoes Babel

Scene shifts quickly from the upper room to the street - God pushes the church into the streets

Note how ripe the setting is for the birthday of the church Vs. 5

Jesus taught for 40 days but didn’t say go until they were empowered with the HS

Acts 2 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. "Peter’s defining moment

Life breathed into a cowardly Peter.

Bold now with direction, purpose and focus

They had wine all right - a new wine

The power that proclaims the good news of God’s great gift the world explains as inebriation - drunkenness.

Don’t be drunk with wine but be filled with the HS

Everything hinges on the Spirit’s power to move our mouths and hands into action!

Giddy, happy, bubbling with unexplainable joy

Men everywhere hunger for this exhilarating spirit - and the church depends on it.

14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

17 " `In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.

18 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. 19 I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. 20 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. 21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

22 "Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. 23 This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. 24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.