Acts 2

Acts 2:1-13 –Holy Spirit at Pentecost

The meaning of Pentecost is the number 50 and the Pentecost Festival is 50 days after the annual Passover.  On that first Pentecost day the Holy Spirit came to all believers in the form of 2 outward signs:  1. A sound like blowing of a violent wind and 2. What seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.  Then each began to speak in a language that everyone understood in their own language. 

Who is the Holy Spirit?  The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Jesus (Rom. 8:9).  Jesus gave the disciples His very breath of life and their part was simply to receive Him.  The Holy Spirit is a person who comes to dwell within the Christian.  He pours out God’s love, counsels, directs and guides the believer (Acts 13:2, 16:7).  He teaches, gives understanding and pours out emotions of love, joy, and peace (John 14:26-27).  He empowers for a task, comforts in bereavement and trouble (2 Cor. 12:9; John 14:16).  When a person chooses to believe in Jesus as Lord, he receives the Holy Spirit.  He is then sealed by the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption, the resurrection of the body (Eph. 1:13-14).  The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity and is God in every way.  Jesus calls Him the Comforter.  The Holy Spirit empowers, purifies, and unifies all believers. 

The Holy Spirit came to people before Pentecost, but only for a limited period of time for special work.  At Pentecost the Holy Spirit came to all who believed.  Now the Holy Spirit come when you first accept Jesus and become a believer. 

This was not the first time the Holy Spirit came in such a miraculous way.  In Genesis 11 the Holy Spirit came and confused the peoples’ language so they were not able to understand each other.  In Acts 2 it was the opposite.  The Holy Spirit rested on them in their own language so they would understand each other.  This shows the power of the Holy Spirit and that He can do anything.  I think this gave the disciples much confidence for their mission to come.

The miracle of the people speaking in different languages was a special miracle to demonstrate God’s purpose in taking the gospel to all the nations.  It enabled the church to be launched in all of these places when these men returned to their homes.  God’s good news is for all the nations.  Jesus purchased for God with His blood men from every tribe and every nation.

Jesus sent us His Holy Spirit whose power is beyond human abilities and guides us toward God.  The Spirit helps us understand the Word, know the heart of God, empowers us for ministry, comforts us, makes us holy and seals us in Christ guarantying us that we are His.  We grieve the Holy Spirit when we sin and ignore the truth He shows us.  The deepest longing of the Spirit is to glorify Jesus Christ.  What is your deepest longing?

When you are filled with the Holy Spirit, you are emptied of self and now submit to God.  Now God is in control of your life.  Now you know your suffering has a purpose.  We can’t rely on our own righteousness, but on His perfect righteousness.

Principle:  God gives the Holy Spirit to all who believe in Jesus.

Acts 2:14-41 – Peter’s Sermon

Peter was impulsive, ambitious, fearful and experienced brokenness.  Before Jesus’ arrest he was afraid and denied that he knew Jesus.  Now Peter was a changed man.  He began to preach in a bold way preaching unity of faith as he stood up with the 11 disciples and addressed the crowd proclaiming the gospel and the resurrection.  There’s strength in numbers.  By standing together this made them stronger and more courageous.   When we stand together against evil and stand up for God’s truth, we too are stronger.

All the apostles stood together with Peter as Peter spoke to the crowd about “the last days” as described by the prophet Joel.  He said we are now in the last days before Jesus returns.  He will pour out His spirit on all believers – they will prophesy, see visions and dreams, he will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below.  Before the coming of the great and glorious “day of the Lord”, the sun will turn to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord (17-20). 

The phrase "the day of the Lord," refers to the end of time, when Jesus returns at Armageddon to bring justice to the world and defeat evil once and for all.

Peter didn’t know how soon God’s judgments would take place nor do we.  He is saying that these things would proceed the “day of the Lord”.  The prophecy had begun with the evidence by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the rest will come to pass in God’s timing. 

We see God’s great mercy in Acts 2:21.  He offers to those who deserve His judgment a means of escape.  “And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”  

Peter described the life of Jesus on earth as a man accredited by God to do miraculous wonders and signs.  He described the death of Jesus as being handed over to the people by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge and put to death by nailing Him to the cross.  He described Jesus’ resurrection as God raising Him freeing Him from the agony of death because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on Him. 

He held the crowd responsible because they rejected and betrayed Jesus.  He said “you nailed Him to the cross by the hands of lawless men and put Him to death.”  God used evil men to accomplish His purpose, but those evil men were responsible for their crime and can’t blame God for their sin.  The real point of the sermon – God sent His messiah, but Israel rejected Him.

Peter told them God raised Jesus to life and they were witnesses of the fact.  Now He sits on right hand of God and God will make His enemies His footstool for His feet.

When the people heard all Peter had to say, they asked, “What shall we do”, because they had guilt and sorrow for what they had done.  The Holy Spirit stabbed them with conviction of their terrible sin.  Peter said to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.  There was only 1 relief and that was to repent.  They were to change their lives and turn to God and accept the Holy Spirit.  They were convicted by the Holy Spirit and about 3,000 accepted his message, believed, and were baptized. 

Peter was not only speaking to the crowd, but speaking to us.  Repentance is not an option for salvation.  To repent is to change direction in your life.  It’s turning away from a sinful and a godless way life.  Repentance and faith go hand in hand.  Salvation is a personal choice.  Everyone must decide for themselves.

There are 3 steps to repentance.

            Conviction of sin

            Sorry for the sin

            Conversion – turn away from sin and turn to God.

Being baptized is the dipping or immersing in water.  It doesn’t provide forgiveness of sin.  Only repentance brings forgiveness.  Baptism is an outward sign and application of a new life in Jesus Christ.  It identifies us with Christ and is a witness to others.

Principle:  Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Have you repented?

Are you filled with the Holy Spirit?

How are you allowing the Holy Spirit to use you to bring others to Jesus?

Acts 2:42-47 – Unity of Believers

All those that believed devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching.  They met daily together in the temple, they sold possession and gave to anyone who had a need, they ate in each other’s homes and praised God.  They prayed and broke bread together which today is called Holy Communion or the Lord Supper.

These believers were Spirit filled and participated in a devoted community to Christ.  This is the example of a healthy church.  No church is perfect this side of heaven.  But God will use us to glorify Himself as we continually devote ourselves to Him through His Word and as we devote ourselves to the fellowship of His people and to His work in the world. 

Are you maturing in the Christian life as the early believers did?

How does devotion to Him compare to your job, hobby, family, etc.?

Principle:  A healthy church is marked by continual devotion to His work and to His people.

Join me here next week for our next study of the book of Acts.  --  I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

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Revelation 7 - 144,000 Sealed

John saw 4 angels standing at the 4 corners of the earth.  They were holding back the 4 winds of the earth.  Then he saw another angel with a seal of God telling the 4 angels to not harm the land, the sea or the trees until the 144,000 of God’s servants have His seal on their foreheads.  These 144,000 are 12,000 from each tribe of Israel. (Rev. 1-8).

These winds probably mean violent destructive winds of God’s judgment, which will be released soon.  For now there is a clam before the storm.  These 144,000 servants were new Jewish believers that live on the earth and will become evangelists to all people.  They are about to be sealed.  God will seal them with His Spirit marking them as His, just as the church is sealed with His Spirit.  They are marked showing God’s ownership.  See 2 Cor. 1:21-22, Eph. 1:13-14; 4:30.  We don’t know exactly what this seal will be, but scripture tells us it will be visible.

How has God held back His judgments that you deserve?

Are you sealed with God’s seal?

If so, how do you know? 

How does your life show it?

There are several opinions of who these 144,000 are.  I believe these 144,000 will be witnesses of Jesus to the world.  Because of their witnessing we see in Rev. 7:9-14 a great multitude from every nation and all tribes of people, Jew and Gentile worshiping the Lord.  They were wearing white robes and worshiping God saying, “Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” – Rev. 7:10.  “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation…” – Rev. 7:14.  This will be a true revival.

Are you committed to serving and being a witness for God?

This angel in verse 2 is special and is sent from God and will be entrusted to mark God’s people to protect them in the mists of the wrath that is coming.  This group will be on earth during this terrible wrath, but will be protected from it because of the seal with God’s name is on their forehead.  Since all believers have been miraculously removed from the earth - known as the rapture, they will be God’s witnesses.  God has not and will not ever leave earth without a witness of His salvation.  God needs them to tell the gospel to the world. 

There are several beliefs on when the rapture will occur.  Will it be before, during or at the end of the 7 year of tribulation?  The 7 years is broken up into two 3 ½ periods.  The first is called the tribulation and the second is called the Great Tribulation.  I believe the church will be raptured or taken to heaven before the 7 years starts.  I believe He will rescue believers from His wrath.  “and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead – Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.” – 1 Thess. 1:10.  Whatever you believe about the rapture and if believers will go through it, Jesus is the only way to heaven.  (John 14:6)  God has the final say and believers have eternal security.  We may suffer in this life here on earth, but the pain we suffer is only temporary.

We cannot take credit for our salvation.  It is a free gift through the God’s grace.  Jesus deserves all the credit, because of His bloodshed on the cross for us.  We must praise and worship Him for what He has done.

This great multitude is not the same as the 144,000.  The 144,000 are on earth and the great multitude is in heaven, who have received their white robes.  These are Jews and Gentiles who have accepted Jesus after the rapture and have been martyred for their faith during the tribulation.  (Rev. 7:14)

The great multitude is praising God for their salvation.  In the presence of God there will be no hunger, thirst, sunburn, heat stroke, or tears.  The Lamb will be at the center of the throne and will be the Shepherd.  He will be the protector of all believers.  (Rev. 7:15-17).  It will be a happy time.  It will be eternal peace and joy.  It will be an eternal life with Jesus.

The whole purpose of this chapter is that God offers protection to all believers.  Chapter 6 had relentless punishment of the wicked, but the focus is now on the security of the faithful.  God will protect His people.  He deserves our praises.  He knows everything and has all wisdom.  We should constantly thank Him for all He has done for us.  Only He deserves honor and glory.  He sent His son, Jesus to die on the cross for us while we were still sinners.  Jesus has overcome all that is against us.

Do you know where you will spend eternity?

Principle:  In the midst of tribulation God’s people are eternally secure.

Next week we will study Revelation 8.  We will see the seventh seal broken.  The seventh seal includes 7 trumpets and 7 bowls.  With each seal broken the judgments increase with intensity.  The end of the world comes after the 7 bowls.  Hope to see you here next week.

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