The Day of Pentecost, pt. 4
Acts 2:1-41
Tongues, v. 4, see messages on What the Bible Says about Speaking in Tongues…in short, it should bring us to speak. The events of Pentecost are not meant to be repeated in actuality, rather we are to learn concepts and principles to apply practically to the dispensation in which we live today.
Pentecostal churches base entire belief system on this chapter, w/ focus on v. 4, yet they don’t see literal wind or flames, but literal tongues?
The Baptism of the Holy Spirit happens here in ch. 2 …and in the same way, we are not to seek to repeat it any more than we should seek to repeat Calvary!
Baptism of the Spirit is different than believers’ baptism, or the filling of the Holy Spirit…
The Baptism took place originally at Pentecost in Acts 2…first the Jews, then in ch. 10 the Gentiles in the home of Cornelius.
Are believers today baptized by the Holy Spirit? Yes, at the moment of salvation! In Acts 2, the disciples were both baptized and filled…but after ch. 2, they experienced many more fillings, yet no more baptisms…
Now we enter a new section about the big miracle of Pentecost:, which was -not the wind, -not the fire, -not the tongues, but -rather the 3 thousand saved!
v. 6 says these incredible events in the first 4 verses were noised abroad/v. 7: a multitude was amazed and marveled/v. 12: some doubted and questioned it all…
Peter’s sermon was their answer: had 3 points, must’ve been a Baptist! Was 10 minutes long…so maybe not!
vv. 14-21 Told them what had happened
vv. 22-35 …how it happened
vv. 36-40 …why it happened
I. What happened
v. 14-21 “third hour”=9 am
Quotes OT prophet Joel
He’s not saying that the day of Pentecost was the fulfillment of that prophesy…it will be fulfilled in the last days, the tribulation/millennium. About the nation of Israel. [v. 19-20…none of these things happened on this day of Pentecost] Peter was simply saying this Day of Pentecost was LIKE the last days to come written of here…an illustration!
Strange things were happening, and they couldn’t make sense of it…Peter showed them that it was of God, working in His mysterious/miraculous ways. “Look at what Joel said is GOING to happen!”
Application to us: God’s ways are higher/thoughts deeper…we shouldn’t deny something just because we don’t understand it
[trinity/eternity/God’s love]
Be thankful we have a God we cannot understand…wouldn’t you hate to have a God so small that you could figure Him out?!
So, he explains to them WHAT had happened…
II. How it happened
He explains in vv. 22-35 that it’s because of the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ…he shares the gospel story, and that this is the continuation of His story…
He gives them 4 reasons why they ought to believe on Jesus Christ: [we don’t have a blind faith…we have good reason to believe!]
A. The miraculous life of Jesus
v. 22 You saw it w/ your own eyes, he said. They could not deny it. Many of them saw him open Bartimaeus’ blind eyes/raise dead Lazarus/cleanse lepers!
B. The miraculous prophecy of Jesus
He’s preaching to Jews, familiar mostly w/ the OT, so Peter shows them the fulfillment of the OT prophecy of His resurrection.
v. 23-28 a direct quote of psalm 16.
He reminds them that Jesus resurrected as predicted…there is a connection! [this was powerful preaching to them, should be to us!]
v. 29-31 He points to David’s grave and says look, David is still in there, he didn’t write about himself, but about the Messiah!
He’s giving them good reasons to believe:
His miraculous life/fulfilled prophecies…
C. The eyewitnesses of Jesus
v. 32 Over 500 the Bible says, and history confirms. A great friend of mine in MO is an attorney. I asked him if he would take a case of a man who had 500 eyewitnesses ready to testify against him…[depends on how much of a retainer they were willing to pay!]
Peter says, you need to get saved/believe on Jesus, are you putting it all together? You witnessed it w/ your own eyes, His miracles, His resurrection…He is the Messiah!
D. The Spirit of Jesus
v. 33 He says, the things you’ve seen today [vv. 1-4] are the presence of the Holy Spirit…there’s no denying it…Jesus promised it, and this is the fulfillment!
How much more do you need?
Peter tells them what happened/how it happened…
III. Why it happened
v. 36-37 pricked=convicted! Tell us what to do!!
v. 38-41 That’s the big miracle of Pentecost!
The rushing, mighty wind was incidental/the fire/speaking in tongues…
The biggest miracle that has ever happened in history: is the salvation of souls, and has happened many times, and right at this altar, and in homes, restaurants, out in the lobby, on the phone, in the park!
Has that miracle happened to you? Have you been saved the Bible way?
Nowhere does the Bible say whosoever shall be baptized/join church/live morally shall be saved, but v. 21…call upon the name of the Lord!
You have good reason to believe on Jesus, pray this prayer: …
