AMAZED AND CONFUSSED
Text: Acts 2:5-13
Introduction
1. Illustration: When you strip it of everything else, Pentecost stands for power and life. That's what came into the church when the Holy Spirit came down on the day of Pentecost. – David Wilkerson
2. Last week we talked about how the power of the Holy Spirit was poured out on the believers on the Day of Pentecost.
3. Today we are going to see how the power of the Holy Spirit impacted them.
4. We see three things happen…
a. Power of the Holy Spirit At Work
b. The Gospel is for Everyone
c. Two Reactions
5. Read Acts 2:5-13
Proposition: The power of the Holy Spirit empowers us to fulfill the Great Commission.
Transition: First, we see the…
I. Power of the Holy Spirit At Work (5-8)
A. Hear Their Own Languages
1. The impact of Pentecost was just beginning. Luke tells us in vv. 5-6, “At that time there were devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem. 6 When they heard the loud noise, everyone came running, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers.”
a. Like I mentioned last week, there were Jews from all over the Roman world in Jerusalem for the Pentecost festival.
b. Although the word “living” usually refers to those permanently living somewhere, it can also refer to those staying temporarily.
c. Even the great Jewish historian Josephus testifies that large numbers of pilgrims would descend upon Jerusalem for the festival.
d. So, we have people from all over the Roman world who were staying in Jerusalem, and the fact that they all spoke separate languages indicates that they were from all over.
e. Scores of people heard all the commotion going on with the believers and they came running.
f. Luke says they were “bewildered” that they heard the disciples speaking in their own language!
g. It’d be like us all going to Ohio, and everyone was speaking Georgian!
2. Then Luke continues telling this incredible story. In vv. 7-8 he tells us, “They were completely amazed. “How can this be?” they exclaimed. “These people are all from Galilee, 8 and yet we hear them speaking in our own native languages!”
a. Luke tells us these people were all completely amazed! They asked, “how can this be?”
b. Now, we need to pay close attention to what happens next, they say, “these people are all from Galilee!”
c. Now, the Jews in Galilee were looked upon as middle eastern hillbillies!
d. They had a strange accent even to those who spoke Hebrew and Greek. It’s like telling someone, “Y’all talk funny!”
e. If you recall, when Peter was following behind Jesus after his arrest, he was found out because of his Galilean accent.
f. So, not only were they amazed that were hearing them speak in their own languages, but it was Galilean’s that were doing it!
g. God was breaking though stereotypes, and he was enabling these disciples to do something that they were totally incapable of doing.
h. These were people who were looked down upon whom God was using to do something miraculous!
B. You Shall Receive Power
1. Illustration: Pentecost is a celebration of God... a celebration of God's power... a celebration of God's desire to empower us and to dwell within us. – Mark Hart
2. The power of the Holy Spirit empowers us and enables us to do things we are not capable of doing in and of ourselves.
a. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8).
b. Jesus promised us that when the Holy Spirit comes upon us, we would receive power.
c. Power to be his witnesses.
d. Power to be his evangelists.
e. Power to be his healers.
f. Power to be his prophets.
g. You might ask, “how can we do all those things? After all, we’re just a little country church, right?”
h. No, we are not “just” a little country church! We are a little country church that can reach our community with the power of the Gospel, through the power of the Holy Spirit!
i. We are a little country church that can do the impractical, the impossible, and experience the unbelievable through the power of the Holy Spirit!
j. We are a little country church that can transform our community in Jesus’ name!
Transition: Next, we see that…
II. The Gospel Is for Everyone (9-11).
A. Here We Are
1. Next, Luke tells us that these visitors to Jerusalem said, “Here we are—Parthians, Medes, Elamites, people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, the province of Asia, 10 Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, and the areas of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome.”
a. Here we see them run through the list of nations that were represented there on the day of Pentecost.
b. It’s amazing that this list covers countries from the far east of the Roman empire, and the far western part of the Roman empire.
c. What Luke was saying was that the Gospel was for everyone! Of course, this goes back to what Jesus promised them before he left.
d. He said, “you will be my witnesses telling people about me everywhere - in Jerusalem, Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
e. In this instance, Jesus enabled them to do just that by bringing them right to their own back yard!
f. These people from all over the Roman world were right there, and they experienced the miracle of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit!
2. Now, we need to take note of what they heard the disciples saying. In v. 11 it says, “And we all hear these people speaking in our own languages about the wonderful things God has done!”
a. We are only given a hint here of what the believers were saying, but it is a huge hint!
b. They were telling all the wonderful things that God has done!
c. They were giving testimony of the marvelous things God had been doing.
d. They were telling about all the signs and wonders that Jesus had done in his earthly ministry.
e. They were telling about his death and resurrection.
f. And there were telling about the promise of the outpouring of the Spirit that had fallen on them.
g. These were the wonderful things that God has done!
h. When we don’t know what to say to people, just tell them about how God has done wonderful things in your life.
i. They can deny anything else, but they cannot deny your personal testimony of how God in Christ has changed your life!
B. Disciples of All Nations
1. Illustration: A little girl asked her father why firemen stayed in the firehouse all day and polished their engines and other equipment. He explained that they did this to pass the time while waiting for fire calls. Many Christians likewise stay close to the familiar surroundings of the church community, applying another coat of worship or getting a theological tune-up, while all the time waiting for some sinner to request a gospel presentation. The problem with this approach to evangelism is that the world is already ablaze, and the fire call went out two thousand years ago “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”
2. The real purpose behind the outpouring of the Spirit is to take the Gospel to all the world.
a. “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” (Matt 28:19).
b. The Holy Spirit doesn’t come upon us so we can sit on our hands and warm a pew.
c. He doesn’t come upon us so that we can get a happy feeling and perhaps shout “Amen!”
d. No, he comes upon us so that we can be Jesus’ witnesses to the world.
e. Sometimes being Jesus’ witnesses to the world means going to far away countries and make disciples there.
f. Other times, it means talking to the person sitting next to us at a restaurant, or even to our waiter or waitress.
g. Sometimes it means telling the cashier at the grocery store about the wonderful things God has done in your life.
h. Sometimes it just living out the Gospel at work, and then waiting for the opportunity to share the Gospel with a co-worker.
i. The point it this, the Gospel is for everyone, and we are the ones given the call to preach it everywhere we go.
Transition: In fulfilling this divine call to preach the Gospel, we will find…
III. Two Reactions (12-13).
A. What Can This Mean?
1. There were two totally different reactions to what was happening that day. The first one is one of amazement and a desire to know more. In v. 12 it says, “They stood there amazed and perplexed. “What can this mean?” they asked each other.”
a. Some of the people were totally amazed but confused as to what was going on.
b. They heard these uneducated Galilean’s declaring the praises of God in all their own languages.
c. How can they do this? How did this happen? What was the meaning of all this?
d. But notice that it caused them to wonder and ask questions.
e. “Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. 16 But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ” (1 Pet. 3:15-16)
f. We never know when the Lord is going to open a door of opportunity, so we should always be prepared to testify about what God has done in our lives.
2. But, as there always is, there were others who were skeptical and ridiculed them. In v. 13 it says, “But others in the crowd ridiculed them, saying, “They’re just drunk, that’s all!”
a. There will always be those who either question our faith, or those who simply don’t want to hear it.
b. In this instance, some people accused the believers of being drunk.
c. We should be prepared for this kind of response from people.
d. Especially in our day and age, people have turned their backs on God.
e. They will question if we are drunk, and some may even think we’ve lost our minds. We must remember what Jesus said,
f. “Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you.” (John 15:20)
B. Our Responsibility
1. Illustration: “...Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons—but they are helpless against our prayers" (Sidlow Baxter).
2. We are not held responsible for how people receive our message; we are only responsible for giving it in a way that people can understand.
a. “Of course, your former friends are surprised when you no longer plunge into the flood of wild and destructive things they do. So they slander you. 5 But remember that they will have to face God, who stands ready to judge everyone, both the living and the dead. 6 That is why the Good News was preached to those who are now dead—so although they were destined to die like all people, they now live forever with God in the Spirit.” (1 Pet. 4:4-6).
b. Jesus didn’t say go and produce results. He said go and preach the Gospel.
c. It’s our job to tell people the Good News, not to convict them of their sin (that’s the Holy Spirit’s job).
d. We are called to be his witnesses, and the Spirit’s job to convince people to respond.
e. If they reject your message, they are rejecting the Lord, not you.
f. There are always going to be those who are skeptical and reject the Gospel message.
g. There will always be those who will reject us for telling them.
h. But God has called you to preach the Gospel, not produce results.
i. So, preach the Gospel everywhere you go, and if you must, use words.
Conclusion
1. Today we saw the impact of Pentecost.
2. We saw three things happen…
a. Power of the Holy Spirit At Work
b. The Gospel is for Everyone
c. Two Reactions
3. What’s the point preacher? We are called to preach the Gospel to all the world, and the Holy Spirit has empowered us to do so.
4. “I solemnly urge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who will someday judge the living and the dead when he comes to set up his Kingdom: 2 Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.” (2 Tim. 4:1-2)
