The Birth Of The Church And The Gift Of The Holy Spirit

The Gift of the Spirit and the Birth of the Church

In the old traditional culture, the word of God was passed on to the next generation from parents to children through the telling of stories. These stories were told to ensure the important messages from God did not die with the older generations. This is how the word of God was kept alive. So, in honor of that old Jewish tradition…..

Once upon a time there was a seemingly ordinary man. He wasn’t a wealthy man. He wasn’t an exceptionally brilliant man and he certainly wasn’t an exceptionally strong man

Although he never won a bass tournament, he was an avid fisherman. But he did eke out a living for his family fishing in the waters of The Sea of Galilee. You might have guessed by now that I am talking about the man named Simon. The man who became the Apostle Peter after he met Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

There was nothing really special about Peter. Like many of us, he occasionally thought higher of himself than he should.

At times, his ego got the better of him and he would brag. He especially liked brag about his love for Jesus. He bragged about his faith in Jesus. He even bragged that he was more humble than the rest of the Apostles.

That happened when Jesus wanted to wash his feet. Jesus had been washing the other disciple’s feet but when Jesus got to Peter, Peter balked at allowing Jesus to wash his dirty feet trying to show that he was unworthy to have Jesus wash his feet. That was true but it was not the right time to do that after Jesus had just washed the other men's feet. When Jesus explained that if he did not allow Jesus to wash his feet, he could have no part in Jesus, Peter quickly told Jesus to wash his head and the rest of his body too.

Peter was bit pretentious at times. He often said thing he shouldn’t have and said things he didn’t really mean when it came time for the rubber hit the road; when it was time to prove his rhetoric.

He boasted about his will power especially when it concerned his devotion to Jesus. He thought that he should be seated at the right hand of Jesus, a place of honor. He desired things he didn’t deserve from Jesus.

It was this braggard who, in fear for own his life, denied knowing Jesus after earlier telling him that he would give up his own life for Jesus.

There was nothing really special about Peter, yet Peter was one of the 12 original men that Jesus chose to have follow Him for three years. Jesus often chastised him for his lack of faith and understanding. One time said to him “Get behind Me Satan”; not because he thought Peter was Satan but because he was being used by Satan to deter Jesus from the work He came to do.

Many of us here this morning think we need to be strong before God can use us. We feel that we need to know more and live more righteously before God can use us.

We think that it may be okay if we make some little mistakes, but we don’t just make little mistakes. We make some doozies.

But, Peter didn’t just make little mistakes. One time he cut off a man’s ear. He cut off a man’s ear after watching Jesus lovingly minister to people for three years.

Peter didn’t always do the right thing, but Jesus still chose him to follow Him, saying “follow me and I will make you a fisher of men.”

Once upon a time there was a man named Peter and there was

• nothing very special about Peter financially. HE wasn’t wealthy and wise like Solomon.

• nothing very amazing about Peter intellectually, He wasn’t a biblical scholar like the Apostle Paul.

• nothing very powerful about Peter physically. He didn’t have the strength of Samson.

He was just a fisherman who acted foolishly at times, but he did meet and follow Jesus. He did respond to Jesus’ call and He did come to love Jesus even though he did deny knowing Jesus just before He was crucified.

But then one day a miracle happened. Peter received Jesus’ promised gift of the HOLY SPIRIT and something changed. That miraculous gift gave this not very special man, this not very amazing man, this foolish acting man, a transformation no one would have expected, especially those who knew him best.

Turn with me to Acts 2:1-21 (NRSV) and we’ll read about how God used this ordinary man to make a huge difference in the lives of so many people.

1 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. 5 Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. 6 And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. 7 Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power 12 All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.” 14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. 15 Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. 16 No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: 17 ‘In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dream dreams. 18 Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. 19 And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist. 20 The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day. 21 Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. 22 Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through Him, as you yourselves know. 23 This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you with the help of wicked men, put Him to death by nailing Him to the cross. 24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on Him. 25 David said this about Him: “I saw the Lord always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 26 Therefore, my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also rests in hope, 27 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, you will not let your holy one see decay. 28 You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence. 29 Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. 30 But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that He would place one of his descendants on His throne. 31 Seeing what was to come He spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay. 32 God had raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. 33 Exalted to the right hand of God, He has received from the Father the promised Holy spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.