American revivalist Charles Finney often spoke of how God gave him mighty infillings of the Holy Spirit. At one point, he wrote of infillings
…that went through me, as it seemed, body and soul. I immediately found myself endued with such power from on high that a few words dropped here and there to individuals were the means of their immediate conversion. My words seemed to fasten like barbed arrows in the souls of men. They cut like a sword. They broke the heart like a hammer. Multitudes can attest to this; sometimes I would find myself in a great measure empty of this power. I would go and visit, and find that I made no saving impression. I would exhort and pray with the same results. I would then set apart a day for private fasting and prayer…after humbling myself and crying out for help, the power would return upon me with all its freshness. This has been the experience of my life.”
[The Holy Spirit is the power of Christ manifest in the Believer; how are you using that power?]
I. INTRODUCTION
1. Today is Pentecost Sunday—the day we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples; infilling and empowering them to carry out the work Christ gave them. It also marks the fulfillment of Jesus promise to all believers—including us.
2. This day should be as special as Christmas or Easter; yet, many church-going Christians overlook it completely. We may wonder, why? I have a theory on that; we will consider that a bit later.
3. Pentecost is so called because it falls on the fiftieth day after the presentation of the first barley sheaf of the harvest, i.e., fifty days from the first Sunday after Passover (pentekostos, Gk. for “fiftieth”)
4. Hebrew and Aramaic-speaking Jews know it as the “Feast of Weeks”, or “Day of First fruits”. Later, some reckoned it the anniversary of the giving of the law at Mt. Sinai (Ex. 19:1).
II. THE HOLY SPIRIT DESCENDS (2:1-4)
1. If you are a student of Scripture, you know that while the disciples believe in Jesus as their Savior, they are still confused about many different things.
2. They don’t fully understand Jesus’ mission, i.e., why he had come to earth. They still wonder if Jesus will be an earthly king. They are confused, and, as a result, they are timid: not confident in sharing the Gospel with others. How can they be, if they don’t fully understand?
3. Then something amazing happens. As they gather with about 120 other believers, the sound of a violent wind fills the house they are in (perhaps the upper room of last supper fame, but not sure).
A. Next, they see “tongues of fire” come on each of the apostles. Luke says the fire separates (implying a single mass of flame) and lights on each apostle, filling them with the HS and causing them to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enables them.
B. Those with them come from regions all over the known world, being scattered in the Diaspora (or dispersion) of native Jews in the Babylonian exile of 6th century BC.
C. Once allowed to return to their homeland, many Jews stay, living in the lands of their captors: probably because they are living comfortably and do not want to uproot and start again.
D. The dispersion of Jews, who settle in surrounding countries, leads to many dialects as each clan learns the language of their new surroundings.
III. THE CROWD’S AMAZEMENT
1. Jews in Jerusalem, largely pilgrims on this occasion, are astonished that each of them hears the apostle’s praising God in their native tongue. Luke records the expanse of countries involved (15 of them), each with its own language, and some with multiple dialects within a language.
2. Some believe, despite their astonishment. Others mock them, saying, “they have had too much wine” (13).
[The Holy Spirit is the power of Christ manifest in the Believer; how are you using that power?]
IV. PETER’S PROCLAMATION (14-21)
1. Suddenly, Peter addresses the crowd. He disputes their charge (likely in jest, with “after all, it’s nine in the morning!”) and offers scriptural testimony from the prophet Joel to the event unfolding before them. Peter? Two months earlier he was so afraid that he denied Jesus; now he speaks with a confidence and understanding he never had before.
2. Pentecost brings significant change: not just for Peter, but for all the apostles. No longer confused, they now understood the plan of salvation completely. No longer timid, they are now confident, speaking publicly.
3. Just what Jesus intends; changing the lives of the apostles changes the lives of others. Starting with 3,000 people who hear Peter’s first sermon and accept Christ.
V. APPLICATION
1. Pentecost brings the power to change. We see this change in the disciples, then in 3000 others, and realize that our world needs change, too.
2. Many disregard Jesus Christ, and so they do not know how to get to heaven. Many Christians, who, like the disciples before Pentecost, are confused, weak and timid. We need the Holy Spirit to come to us, and change us.
3. There is, however, a problem. We don’t think we need to be changed. “I’m alright the way I am,” we say to ourselves. “What do I need to change about myself?”
A. The answer? A lot. We are followers of Christ with sinful habits we won’t abandon. We are often selfish. We misread what God tells us in his Word. We don’t share our faith because we are timid.
B. We must change. We need the HS’s power to become the people God wants us to be.
4. Do you want to be more confident? Do you want to be more at peace with God and yourself? Do you want to be less confused about the Bible, be able to share your faith more naturally, more confidently? Do you want to be able to live the way God tells you to live in the Bible? Do you want to change your life for the better?
A. That is what the Holy Spirit does. He did it miraculously on the first Pentecost. Today, he does it as you hear God’s Word, witness a baptism, or share in the Eucharist. The Holy Spirit changes you through these and other experiences, forming you progressively into the image of Christ, as God designed you to be.
5. We don’t view Pentecost with the same fervor as Christmas or Easter—why not? Because C/E are passive holidays; we stand still and God does everything. Pentecost brings power to change, but the change is not affecting God or Christ: it affects us! We are called to live differently in light of the HS in our lives!
[The Holy Spirit is the power of Christ manifest in the Believer; how are you using that power?]
VI. CONCLUSION
1. Pray that God will reveal the things in your life that must change for you to be effective.
2. Commit yourself to 20 minutes with him every day—in the word and in prayer.
3. Ask God to fill you with the HS in a way you have never allowed him to do before.
4. Get an accountability partner; work together to become the people God intended you to be
[The Holy Spirit is the power of Christ manifest in the Believer; how are you using that power?]
