Receiving The Holy Spirit (The Gentile Pentecost) Series

To the Ends of the Earth, Part 16

Receiving the Holy Spirit (The Gentile Pentecost)

Acts 10:44 – 11:18

Introduction

- Welcome to Seasons Church & 2024 sermon series, “To the Ends of the Earth”

-- In 2023 we unpacked the beginning of all history (Creation/Fall/Promise)

-- And we looked ahead, anticipated the coming & victory of Jesus (Revelation)

-- But, in order to get to the end, we have to be busy doing the work now (Acts)

- Last time Peter gave a simple story of the testimony of Jesus

-- Peter spoke to all that would listen (in Cornelius’s house) a factual truth

-- He did not lead with emotion, nor did he cast dispersion on any in attendance

-- Spoke the same truth that we should share today: Without Him, we are lost!

- Today we’ll explore the response to this, but we’ll see even more than that

-- RE: Part 1: Church can be for prejudicial towards people (why they avoid it)

-- EX: You don’t worship like us so we cannot have fellowship (Jews & Gentiles)

-- Peter runs into the very same spirit that plagues 2024, and scripture highlights it

-- But more than that, we will see what the actual purpose of the Church is …

- Read Acts 10:44 – 11:18 / Pray

- TR: Let’s get the obvious out of the way to frame our message …

Point 1 – When the Spirit falls, the people must respond

- The Holy Spirit fell on the Gentiles when they heard the Word (v44)

-- Know this: It did not fall because of Peter, but while Peter was declaring truth

-- Yes, Peter had an anointing (or mission) to deliver, but the result was all God

- FACT: No man has anything to do with God’s Spirit being poured out

-- The Spirit fell - Greek: epipiptó; to fall on something

-- And it was heard by those who heard it (active) – Greek: akouó; to listen

- Now, don’t miss the results:

-- The Jewish listeners who were present were astonished!

-- Greek: existémi; to stand aside from

-- RE: There were Jewish believers who went with Peter to see Cornelius (v45)

- They believed that the Spirit was only for them, so this is a shock!

-- APP: Kind of like being surprised when God shows up at church!!

- Even before they accept Christ, God was already calling them to Himself!

-- They were told the message so they might be affected by it; by a Jewish convert

-- Result: The Gentile believers spoke in tongues and praised God! (vv45-46)

- We need to be absolutely clear here – and I want to approach this scripturally:

- First, tongues is not an unknown language between a Christ follower & God

-- It is a real language, spoken by real people, but unknown naturally to the speaker

-- We saw this clearly in Scripture when the Spirit was first given, remember?

-- Acts 2:4, “And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.”

- Second, (KEY) tongues is n-o-t a universal sign of faith in Christ

-- Some claim this as a necessity, and well, that is complete nonsense

-- It is not proof that the Spirit has fallen, and it does not involve putting on a show

-- Matter of fact: Book of Acts doesn’t record many cases of this happening!

- Third, the message of salvation must be spread to other languages

-- But speaking in tongues today is rare because of the availability of translations

-- APP: No one should doubt their salvation because they don't speak in tongues

- This was a specific situation, for these gathered, which God used to prove a point

-- The point: Gentiles who are not circumcised, or not baptized, who have not had an apostle lay hands on them, can still receive the Holy Spirit!!

- Get this: Salvation (which is receiving grace) is only by faith in Jesus Christ

-- There is nothing we do: Ephesians 2:8-9, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.”

- The events in Acts 10 marked the permanent giving of the Holy Spirit to Gentiles

-- Why?? To show Peter and his Jewish friends that God was in the business of rescuing His creation! Why? They needed something incredible to change their long-held belief that Israel was God’s (only) people.

- Peter asks a question of his fellow Jews to make them realize this (Re-read v47)