The Spirit Gives Utterance

The Spirit Gives Utterance

Acts 2:1-13

It has been said that communication is one of the biggest problems within relationships.

Misunderstandings can strain relationships, cause conflict, damage trust, lead to poor decision-making, and decrease productivity.

Misunderstandings can also cause missed opportunities and severely impact a team or group.

Some communication problems happen when someone hears something different than what was said.

Misunderstandings may come from distractions, background noise, someone mumbling, brain misinterpretation, or hallucinations like hearing voices or sounds that aren't there.

Please open your Bibles to Acts 2, as continue in that study.

Last week, we learned how the Disciples decided who would become Judas Iscariot's replacement, for the Twelfth Apostle.

Judas betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver and led an armed force to arrest Jesus.

Peter said the twelfth Apostle had to be present during Jesus’ whole earthly ministry, beginning at John’s baptism, be an eyewitness to the resurrection, and be a witness to the Ascension

So, the Apostles cast lots to select the new man, but this was the last time casting lots was used in scripture, which happened before the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, in Acts 2.

We said, “If it was not His will for Matthias to be the twelfth Apostle, the LORD could have stopped him from being chosen”.

We ended with some practical steps to make decisions based on God’s will for our lives. Faithfulness and obedience are so important to Christians because they demonstrate we trust Him.

The LORD knows the future, so He tells us what actions on our part lead to His abundant life. Obedience and faithfulness happen as we trust what He says as truth and show Him our love

Today, the portion of scripture we will cover is about when the Holy Spirit came upon the Disciples on the Day of Pentecost.

I. Pentecost.

Read Acts 2:1

There were three main annual feasts the Israelites were instructed to observe during the Old Testament times.

1. Passover is the holiday celebrating the Lord sparing the firstborn children from the plague of death in Egypt.

The Hebrews went to Egypt, where Joseph had become second in command under Pharaoh, due to a famine in Canaan.

Eventually, the Pharaoh who knew Joseph died, and then the new Pharaoh placed Israel into slavery.

The LORD heard the cries of Israel and sent Moses to Pharaoh with a command to release the Children of Israel.

After denying their pleas, Pharaoh hardened his heart against the LORD and refused to let the Hebrews leave Egypt.

The LORD sent ten plagues as Pharaoh refused. But the final plague was the death of every firstborn in the land of Egypt.

The Israelites were instructed to mark the doorposts of their homes with the blood of a slaughtered spring lamb.

Then the LORD spared the firstborn from the angel of death of every home that obeyed and had blood on their doorposts.

The Holiday of Passover was celebrated to remember the Children of Israel being freed from slavery by the LORD.

When the Israelites left Egypt, they left in such a hurry that they did not wait for the bread dough to rise so, in remembrance of this, during Passover only unleavened bread was eaten.

Leaven or yeast is a picture of sin in the Old Testament.

There are two observations for Christ-followers from Passover.

a. When we accept the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ as a substitute for our sin punishment, we escape death as well.

b. We are set free from the bondage of Egypt within our lives as well. Egypt represents the World.

1 Corinthians 5:6 Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?

1 Corinthians 5:7 Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.

1 Corinthians 5:8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. NKJV

Once saved, we are no longer slaves to sin, so we should remember all the LORD has done for us!

2. The Feast of Tabernacles was a harvest celebration also known as the Feast of Booths or Feast of Ingathering.

This feast was a very important holiday for the Jewish people.

The LORD wanted to remind them of the tents they lived in for 40 years, as they wandered through the desert.

The LORD allowed them to remain in the desert for 40 years to remind them of their disobedience and lack of trust in Him.

3. Pentecost was celebrated at the beginning of the harvest.

Last week we said, “There were ten days between the Ascension of Christ and the Day of Pentecost when the 120 followers of Christ received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.”