Elementary, Dear Watson
Text: Acts 2:1-4
Introduction
1. Read Acts 2:1-4
2. Over the past several weeks, we have talked about the power of the Holy Spirit. We have talked about:
a. Necessity of Power through the Holy Spirit
b. Promise of Power through the Baptism in the Holy Spirit
3. But, how do we know whether or not we have this promise of power?
4. In order to discover whether we have been baptized in the Holy Spirit, I am going to call on my old friend Sherlock Holmes.
a. Famous British Detective
b. Pure Deductive Reasoning
Transition: We are going to examine the facts, and see if we can discover a common thread in all of these instances of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit in the early church. First, let us look at...
I. Facts From the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4)
A. The Day of Pentecost
1. One the Day of Pentecost they were all "with one accord in one place."
a. They obeyed the Lord’s command
b. Unity
2. Then "suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind..."
a. Ruach, the Hebrew word for Spirit, means "breath or wind."
b. The wind was an indication the Spirit was there.
3. Then there appeared tongues of fire.
ľ John the Baptist said Jesus would baptize in the Holy Spirit and fire.
4. Then "they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."
a. "Began," indicates that it started here.
b. They spoke a language that none of them had learned or studied
c. Heavenly language
B. The Facts
1. Illustration: Dragnet: "The facts, Mame, nothing but the facts."
2. What are the facts:
a. Mighty Rushing Wind
b. Tongues of Fire
c. Spoke in Other Tongues
3. We shall compare everything else to this standard.
Transition: Now let us look at...
II. Facts From Ephesus (Acts 19:1-7)
A. Paul in Ephesus
1. Paul goes to Ephesus and finds "certain disciples."
a. Some believe they were disciples of John the Baptist
b. However, everywhere else in the Acts Luke uses this word to describe disciples of Jesus.
c. They were already saved
2. Paul asks these disciples "Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost."
a. Since you believed - second work
b. They didn’t know there was a Holy Spirit
3. So Paul baptized them in water, and then he laid hands on them and the Spirit came upon them and they:
a. Spoke in tongues
b. Prophesied
B. The Facts
1. What happened on the Day of Pentecost?
a. Wind
b. Tongues of Fire
c. Spoke in tongues
2. What happened in Ephesus?
a. Spoke in tongues
b. Prophesied
3. What is the common thread?
ľ They spoke in tongues
Transition: Next let us look at the...
III. Facts From the House of Cornelius (Acts 10:44-48)
A. Cornelius’s House
1. Who is Cornelius?
a. A Roman Centurion
b. Centurions commanded units of roughly eighty men¡XBible Background Commentary
c. Devout man who feared God
2. The Spirit told Peter to go to Cornelius¡¦s house.
3. Peter went and began to preach to his household.
a. While he was speaking, the Spirit fell on them.
b. Peter and those with him were astonished because they had received the gift of the Holy Ghost
4. Look how they knew - "For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God."
B. The Facts
1. What happened on the Day of Pentecost?
a. Wind
b. Tongues of Fire
c. Spoke in tongues
2. What happened at Cornelius’s house?
a. They spoke in tongues
b. Magnified God
3. What is the common thread?
ľ They spoke in tongues
Transition: Finally, let us look at the...
IV. Facts from Samaria (Acts 8:4-25)
A. Phillip in Samaria
1. Phillip went to Samaria to preach.
a. He performed miracles
b. People got saved
c. Great Joy
2. There was a man there named Simon.
a. Sorcerer
b. Believed
3. The apostles heard what was happening in Jerusalem and sent Peter and John to investigate.
a. Laid hands on them and prayed that they receive the Holy Spirit - second work.
b. The text does not tell us how it happened or how they know, but...
4. When Simon saw this, he offered them money to have that same power.
a. Simon saw something so magnificent the he wanted to pay for it. What happened?
b. They spoke in tongues
B. The Facts
1. What happened on the Day of Pentecost?
a. Wind
b. Tongues of Fire
c. Spoke in tongues
2. What happened in Samaria?
ľ They spoke in tongues
3. What is the common thread?
ľ They spoke in tongues
Transition: What shall we conclude?
Conclusion
1. What happened on the Day of Pentecost?
a. Wind
b. Tongues of Fire
c. Spoke in tongues
2. What happened in Ephesus?
a. Spoke in tongues
b. Prophesied
3. What happened at Cornelius’s house?
a. They spoke in tongues
b. Magnified God
4. What happened in Samaria?
ľ They spoke in tongues
5. What is the common thread?
ľ They spoke in tongues
Thesis: The only logical conclusion we can come to is that the initial evidence of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit is speaking in other tongues.
6. Elementary, dear Watson.
