The Spirit Changes Lives
Acts 2
May 23, 2010
NOTE: THE ME/WE/GOD/YOU/WE FORMAT IS FROM ANDY STANLEY'S BOOK, "COMMUNICATING FOR A CHANGE."
Me/We:
Last week we started a two-part series on marriage. And we’ll move on to part 2 of that next week.
Today, however, I want us to visit about the fact that this is a church holiday that I haven’t emphasized before to my knowledge.
This is Pentecost Sunday, which we Christians celebrate as the day the Holy Spirit came as Jesus’ representative on earth until His return.
And I want us to look at what Scripture says can happen in the life of believers who are under the control of God’s Holy Spirit.
I think all of us know people who would claim to be Christians, but don’t seem to have any sort of spark in their spiritual life.
And truth be told, at times that’s probably every one of us, isn’t it?
The Christian life isn’t supposed to be dull and lifeless. The Bible says that God wants all of us to have lives that are filled with significance and excitement in Christ.
So why doesn’t that happen in the lives of so many Christians?
You might be sitting here saying, “Why doesn’t this happen in my own life?”
If that’s you, then I hope that you’ll leave here today encouraged, and maybe even transformed as we look at how the Holy Spirit can transform the lives of ordinary people like you and me.
God: Acts 2 (pp. 771-772)
They had recently spent 40 days with the risen Jesus – but even with that, they still didn’t quite get the program.
They were still questioning Jesus about the end times and Jesus says to let the Father worry about things, because He had a job for them that they would need some supernatural help with.
Verse 1:8 –
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
The day the Spirit came on the disciples was Pentecost.
Pentecost was a Jewish holiday, one of the big three festivals that in which the Jews were required to come to Jerusalem to offer some of their harvests to the Lord.
And it’s during this particular festival that the Spirit makes a dramatic entrance that would change not only those who were there to experience it, but also make it possible for the good news of Jesus to be taken around the world.
We’re not going to read every verse of this chapter, but we’re going to hit some highlights as we look at how the Spirit worked to transform the lives of the early disciples, keeping in mind that the Spirit still does this in the lives of Jesus’ disciples.
Three lessons from the working of the Spirit at Pentecost:
o If you want to be transformed into a capable witness for Christ, you need the Spirit.
Verses 1-8 –
1 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?
This is the initial fulfillment of 1:8, when Jesus said that the Spirit would give them power to witness for Him.
Two things here:
This is the first mention in the New Testament regarding the gift of tongues, or the gift of languages.
Some feel that this is the same kind of thing that the apostle Paul talks about in 1 Corinthians, but it’s not.
In 1 Corinthians, the issue was that no one could understand what was being said.
In this case, everyone present could understand at least one of the people speaking, because the speakers were speaking in the languages present there in Jerusalem from all over the place.
The gospel was given in an understandable way to everyone who could hear it.
What’s important for you and me here is that often some people are afraid that they won’t say the right thing to someone they’re trying to tell about Jesus.
But the Spirit can make what comes out of our mouths perfectly understandable to whoever we’re talking to.
If you feel that God is wanting to you to speak to someone, but you’re not sure what you should say, then say a short prayer asking Him to give you the right words to say, and then go for it.
It may not be eloquent or intelligent sounding to you, but it might be just what that person needs to hear.
The second thing here is to notice the difference in Peter and others.
Before Pentecost, the disciples were confused about a lot of things, not sure what to do next, and probably a bit fearful because of possible persecution.
But now – because of the Spirit, they are now boldly proclaiming the news of Jesus.
Verse 13 says that some in the crowd thought the disciples were drunk, but they kept talking anyway.
The boldness from the Spirit overcame any fear of what others might think of them.
And what happened? Verse 41 –
Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
So – the Spirit gave them the words to say and the guts to say it.
He had transformed them into capable witnesses for Christ.
And He’ll do the same for you.
The second lesson we can learn from the Spirit’s working at Pentecost is that…
o If you want to be transformed into someone who can understand and apply the Scriptures, you need the Spirit.
I mentioned that in verse 13, the disciples are accused of being drunk. But Peter steps forward and gives the people a great Bible lesson starting in verse 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:”
Then Peter quotes a prophecy from Joel. Then he quotes two other passages from the Psalms.
Peter understood – finally – and He was able to see how these words of David and Joel applied to what was happening and to the people’s need to believe in Jesus.
If you’re frustrated by your time in the Bible because maybe you’re not understanding it or not understanding how it applies to your life here in the 21st century, the Holy Spirit wants to help with that.
You will never truly get a grasp on the Scriptures on your own abilities to understand.
The Bible is very clear that understanding comes from the Holy Spirit.
This passage from Acts 2 shows us that the Spirit made it possible for Peter to understand and apply the Scriptures.
And He’ll do the same for you.
Here’s the third lesson we can learn from the Spirit’s working at Pentecost:
o If you want to be transformed into someone has a vital part in the Body of Christ, you need the Spirit.
Verses 42-47 –
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Until the day of Pentecost, the disciples were basically a rag-tag bunch of believers who had really nothing in terms of direction.
But because of what happened at Pentecost, they were transformed into a nucleus of people who had purpose, direction, and a sense of identity that they didn’t have before.
They met together regularly for teaching from the apostles and fellowship and they made sure that the needs of the believers were met.
In other words, the Spirit transformed them into the Church.
They understood very quickly that the church isn’t a building or a denomination.
They understood that the Church is made up of people – believers who are filled with the Spirit and living for Christ and each other above themselves.
There’s a sign I saw at a church here in Aberdeen that says, “You’ve been to church – now go BE the Church.”
That’s what the Spirit would say to you and I today.
“Quit just going to church – meeting in a building and going through the motions. Leave your worship determined to be the Church so that others can be added to the Church which is the living Body of Christ.”
So let me ask you:
Has church become routine, boring, meaningless, and just without purpose for you?
Do you leave here wondering if the Sunday service is all there is?
Do you sometimes look around you and see church members from around the area living no differently than those who don’t even claim to be Christians?
Then allow the Holy Spirit to fill you like He did the disciples at Pentecost, and you’ll be transformed to someone who can be a vital part of what Christ wants to do in this area through the Church.
These are just some of the things the Spirit can do in transforming a person.
He can transform you from being someone who lives only for themselves to being someone who lives for Christ above all and puts others ahead of themselves.
He can transform you from being someone who is dependent on drugs or alcohol into someone is clean, sober, and healthy in body, mind, and spirit.
He can transform you from being someone who is dependent on the opinions of others for your worth to being someone who understands their beauty and worth in the eyes of God – who loves you unconditionally.
He can transform you from being someone who is continually defeated by sin to being someone who is continually victorious and living in holiness. He can set you free from any sin that has a hold on you.
He can do all those things – and He wants to do it.
You: The key for making this happen is one word: surrender.
For some of you it means surrendering to Jesus as your Savior by putting your faith in Him for forgiveness of your sins and a home in heaven.
The Bible says that when you put your faith in Jesus, you gain that forgiveness and heaven, and the Holy Spirit comes to live in you to help you in your new faith in Christ.
But it doesn’t happen if you don’t know Christ.
You cannot have the Spirit if you don’t have Christ.
For others of you this means surrendering yourselves completely to Christ and His control.
You’ve been a believer for a while, but you’ve been a bit of “casual Christian.” You do church, but that’s about it. You don’t get involved very much outside of Sunday mornings.
But the main symptom is that outside of church you don’t live much differently than anyone else.
Jesus isn’t the main thing in your life – you are the main thing in your life, and you make your choices regarding involvement in Christianity based on your convenience rather than on convictions you might hold regarding Jesus and the Scriptures.
I’m here to tell you that you’re missing out. You’re missing out on the joy of the Christian life that Jesus wants for you.
You’re missing out on the full and abundant life Jesus says He came to give you.
And I think I can tell you that in your heart, you know that. But you’re afraid to do anything about it because you’re afraid what your friends and family might think if you got serious about Jesus.
You’re afraid they’ll laugh at you, or maybe push you aside.
Believe me, I understand what that’s like.
My invitation to you is to say, “It’s only the opinion of Jesus that counts. And from this time forward, with the help of the Holy Spirit, I’m going to live for Jesus. Holy Spirit, fill me like you did the disciples on Pentecost so I can be the person You created me to be and that You want me to be.
We: The Spirit transformed the early believers and empowered them for service.
He wants to do that through every believer in Jesus. He wants to transform ordinary people like you and me into people He can and will use for His glory and the advancement of His Kingdom.
And He wants to do the same here, in the lives of everyone here today.
I hope you’ll let Him do that in you.
Prayer
