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
Isaiah 2:22 Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he?
a WHAT ISAIAH IS SAYING IS THAT WE ARE QUICK TO TRUST MAN, WHO I BUT ONE BREATH AWAY FROM ETERNITY, RATHER TAN TRUST THE SOURCE OF ALL BREATH – GOD
C THE RESTING OF THE TONGUES
1 FIRE HAS ALWAYS REPRESENTED THE PRESENCE OF GOD
Exodus 3:2-6 There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3 So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight--why the bush does not burn up." 4 When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!" And Moses said, "Here I am." 5 "Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." 6 Then he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.
Exodus 13:21-22 By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. 22 Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.
2 FIRE HAS ALWAYS BROUGHT COMFORT
a LIGHT
b WARMTH
c LOVE
d COMFORT
3 THE IMAGE OF THE INDIVIDUAL TONGUE IS SIGNIFICANT
a THE USE OF WHAT THE SPIRIT HAS GIVEN IS NOT A CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY, BUT AND INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY!
b WHAT GOD, THROUGH HIS HOLY SPIRIT WANTS FROM THE CHURCH IS MY PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY. IT CANNOT BE GIVEN AWAY OR WISHED AWAY!
c WE USE OUR TONGUES TO SPEAK
d YET, OUR TONGUES CANNOT SPEAK IF THERE IS NO BREATH IN US.
e SO, OUR TONGUES SPEAK OUT WHAT WE HAVE BREATHED IN!
f HERE IS A VIVID ANALOGY – WHAT THE SPIRIT OF GOD HAS PLACED IN US GOD DESIRES US TO SPEAK OUT WITH
THE PENTECOST WAS A LIFE BREATHING EXPERIENCE MEANT TO COMMUNICATE GOD’S CREATIVE POWER IN A NEW LIFE IN CHRIST FROM ONE GROUP TO ANOTHER
II THE REACTION SURROUNDING THE CROWD
A THE CROWD PROBABLY CAME FOR THE EVENT OF PASSOVER, AND STAYED FOR THE EVENT OF PENTECOST.
B VERSE 6 GIVES THE REASON FOR THEIR CURIOSITY
1 THEY HEARD A SOUND – PERHAPS THE SOUND OF THE RUSHING WIND
2 THEY GATHERED TOGETHER AROUND THE SOUND
3 THEY WERE CONFUSED AS TO WHAT WAS HAPPENING
4 WHAT THEY HEARD WAS THEIR OWN LANGUAGES FROM A BUNCH OF GALILEANS
a GALILEANS WERE UNREFINED
b HAD A CRUDE LANGUAGE
c SPOKE IN A WAY THAT THEY DROPPED SYLLABLES AND WORDS
NOTICE THE EMPHASIS OF THE MIRACLE – IT IS NOT THE SIGN GIFT (TONGUES) IT IS THE FACT THAT EVERYONE HEARD WHAT THEY WERE SAYING IN THEIR OWN LANGUAGE.
C AGAIN WE NEED TO SEE THE UNIVERSALITY OF THE MESSAGE!
1 EVERY NATION REPRESENTED HEARD
2 EVERY TONGUE WAS REPRESENTED
III THE QUESTION AWAITING AN ANSWER
A THE EVENT BROUGHT THEM TOGETHER
B THE EVENT POSED THE QUESTION – “WHAT DOES THIS MEAN
C THE EVENT TRIED TO BE DISMISSED BY SOME
1 MADE FUN OF THE MESSAGE
2 MADE ACCUSATIONS ABOUT THE MESSENGER
D PETER WOULD TELL THEM, BUT THAT IS FOR NEXT WEEK
E PERHAPS A MORE PERTINENT QUESTION IS, DO WE LIVE OUR LIVES IN SUCH A WAY THAT SOMEONE WOULD BOTHER TO ASK, WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT.” AND “COULD WE TELL THEM IF THEY ASKED?”
WHAT SIMPLE TRUTH CAN WE TAKE AWAY FROM THIS MESSAGE – WHEN GOD REALLY GETS IN OUR LIVES WE WILL HAVE SOMETHING IMPORTANT TO SAY, AND NO ONE CAN STOP US FROM SAYING IT!
