Tongues Pt. 1 Series

The Holy Spirit & His Work

Introduction:

A Jack Harris was an older man, gardener, winter he was stuck in his house.

1 Every year his kids got him a jigsaw puzzle for Christmas to give him something to do over the winter months.

a One year, 5000 piece puzzle: took him 16 months to put it together.

b After looking at the puzzle he found it was missing one piece: disappointed.

aa Daughter tried to contact the puzzle company, but piece was not available any longer.

bb It was sad to Jack because the puzzle was never really complete.

2 I believe churches should feel tremendous sympathy for Jack Harris because we too experience the feeling of a missing piece . . . a missing person, really . . .Holy Spirit.

a Though many churches confesses the Holy Spirit to be fully God, seldom worshiped. . . often ignored.

b He’s mentioned, but not a meaningful part of the life of the church.

B The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Godhead.

1 He did not come into existence on the Day of Pentecost, but He came into prominence.

a 38 "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.' "39 But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. John 7:38-39 (NASB)

we are told that at the ascension & glorification of Jesus, the Holy Spirit was to be poured out on the church in great measure.

b Acts 2 records that powerful/remarkable moment!

2 There were sounds not heard since the Holy Spirit roared over the waters of creation.

a Sights eyes had never seen in divided tongues of fire.

b There was a supernatural miracle of speaking and understanding that took place.

I The History of Pentecost

A Pentecost, in most people’s mind, is what they think of when you hear the word “Pentecostal.” (Pentecost has a much richer history & meaning)

1 In Exodus, at the first Passover, the Hebrews are making their way out of Egyptian bondage.

a 50 days later they are at the bottom of Mt. Sinai, already growing frustrated.

aa Moses comes off Sinai with the God-given commands (Not the 10 yet, but the promises & covenant conditions that the people willingly agreed to do.

bb God then tells Moses to tell the people He wants to talk to the people in such a way they can hear God for themselves.

b There were instructions on purification to sanctify themselves, & on the third day, Pentecost, God came down and dwelt upon Sinai. (The people had gathered just as instructed.)

aa People saw fire & heard thunder and the sound of trumpets.

bb 16 So it came about on the third day, when it was morning, that there were thunder and lightning flashes and a thick cloud upon the mountain and a very loud trumpet sound, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. Ex 19:16 (NASB)

people trembled at the sound they heard.

2 19 and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. Then Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him. Ex 19:19 (NIV) “God answered him by voice. . .”

a Means some just heard noise (thunder, wind, trumpets) while others heard an audible voice of God.

b Ch. 19, continues with Moses going to the mountain to speak to God, then Moses would go back down the mountain and talk to the people.

B 1 Then God spoke all these words, saying, Ex 20:1 (NASB)

1 In the Bible, this wasn’t another chapter, verse, but a continuation of the story begun in Exodus 19.19.

a What God wanted the people to hear (Ex. 20.2-17) were the 10 Commandments.

aa In short, God wanted His word to live inside them but the people were too afraid.

bb Again, not everybody heard the voice (only noise.)

b 19 Then they said to Moses, "Speak to us yourself and we will listen; but let not God speak to us, or we will die." Ex 20:19 (NASB)

2 1,500 years later, the events of Acts 2, we see the apostles & other disciples in the Upper Room. (Where Christ told them to wait for the Holy Spirit.)

a 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. Acts 2:3 (NKJV)

aa sat (kathizo) can mean to sit or hover, but here . . . to dwell.

bb The fire came down to dwell in the believers there.

b 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Acts 2:4 (NKJV)