Acts 2:1-15, 29-41

If you've got a Bible, turn to Acts chapter 2.

Acts 2 · chapter mention

If you want a church Bible, they're just as you come in by there.

And it's on page 909.

Page 909, Acts chapter 2.

Acts 2 · chapter mention

And what we're going to do this morning is,

it's like when you go on a website and there's a hyperlink.

You know there's words which are in slightly darker font.

And there's a link, isn't it?

And you click on that and it takes you to another page.

And often you find that you click on something else

and it takes you to another page, another page.

And what I want to do that with is I want to do that with

the four words in verse 1.

And I hope that as we click on this hyperlink,

it'll really crack open Acts chapter 2.

Acts 2 · chapter mention

The four words are the day of Pentecost.

The day of Pentecost.

When the day of Pentecost arrived, verse 1,

they were all together in one place.

And suddenly they came from heaven,

a sound like a mighty Russian wind

and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.

What was Pentecost?

What is the day of Pentecost?

Well, it was a Jewish feast.

It had been observed all down through the history of God's people.

It wasn't new.

It wasn't novel.

The word literally means 50th.

It was the 50th day after the Passover.

It was called by various names.

And each of these names is important for you and I to understand.

And what I want to do is I want us to kind of click on this link

of the day of Pentecost

and look at some of the connections that we find in the Bible

and what lies behind it.

And as we do that, I think we'll see what acts to what God is doing and saying to us.

The first great name that was given to the day of Pentecost

was the Feast of Weeks.

It's from Leviticus in the Old Testament, chapter 23.

The Feast of Weeks.

A week of weeks is 49 days.

And the next day after a week of weeks is the 50th day.

The Pentecostal day.

The 50th day from the Passover.

And what its significance is that the Feast of Pentecost

and the Feast of the Passover are both linked together.

You might be thinking, well, what on earth is the Passover?

It's that moment where in Israel's history,

they celebrated their redemption, their escape from Egypt.

If you know the story, there was the shed blood of a lamb.

It was put on the doorpost of where every one of the people of Israel was.

And the Passover celebrated that great event

where the angel of death passed over them

and they came out of the land of Egypt.

And so in Israel's history, every Jew, they got together

to celebrate their redemption.

And Pentecost came 50 days after this most notable day

in the history of God's people.

But the day of Pentecost that we've just read in Acts 2 and verse 1

comes 50 days, doesn't it,

after the most notable event in the history of the world.

The offering up of not a lamb of God,

but the lamb of God, the sacrificial lamb of God,

who was the Lord Jesus Christ.

And it's in his offering up of himself on the cross,

dying in our place,

and then rising from the dead,

that the New Testament sees the fulfilment of the Passover.

And so Jesus is the Christ,

our Passover lamb, sacrificed for us.

Therefore we keep the feast, they say.

50 days after this celebration

came this day of Pentecost.

And that's of great significance for you and I

because you cannot celebrate Pentecost from the Passover.

And you cannot understand the significance of Pentecost

apart from the offering up of Jesus as our sacrifice for our sins

in order that he might gain for us

all the benefits and blessings of our salvation.

And so the day of Pentecost, what I'm saying to you,

cannot be separated from the work of the Lord Jesus.

It is in many ways the great climax.

where the coming of God's Holy Spirit

is to accomplish in God's people

what the death of Jesus has accomplished for them.

The coming of the Holy Spirit was to accomplish in God's people

what the death of Jesus has accomplished for them.

And this is the great link,

the great link between Christ offering himself as our Passover

and the day of Pentecost where the Holy Spirit comes in power.

What Jesus had accomplished for us,

the Holy Spirit comes to apply to us

and accomplish in us.

It is not sufficient, according to the teaching of the Bible,

that Jesus, he accomplishes something for us by his death.

He comes to his disciples, do you remember,

Reuben preached on it during the summertime.

In that upper room discourse in John 14 to 16

and Jesus tells them there's something he has to accomplish

not only for them by leaving and going to Calvary,

but there's something that Jesus has to accomplish in them

by sending his Holy Spirit.

So let me read to you from John 14 and 16.

Jesus says,

I will ask the Father

and he will give you another helper to be with you forever,

even the Spirit of truth,

whom the world cannot receive

because it neither sees him nor knows him.

You know him, for he dwells in you

and will be in you.

He says,

Because I've said these things to you,

sorrow has filled your heart that I'm going away.

Nevertheless, I tell you the truth.

It's to your advantage that I go away.

Because if I do not go away, Jesus says,

the helper will not come to you.

But if I go, I will send him to you.

And when he comes, he'll convict the world of sin,

unrighteousness and judgment to come.

So Jesus links together his going

and the Spirit's coming.

Can you see that the day of Pentecost

is as much a vital part

of the saving work of God in our redemption

as the death of Jesus is?

Jesus says,

It's to your advantage.

It's for your good that I go away.

Because when I go,

I will send the Holy Spirit

and he will be in you.

The New Testament describes

the saving work of Jesus

in a series of events.

If you want to know

what the New Testament teaches

about Christianity,

about the Lord Jesus Christ,

let me give it to you.

It's all centred on Jesus

and they're mighty things that God has done.

The first thing that the preaching in Acts

tells us is that Jesus

left heaven's glory.

He did not consider equality with God

something to be grasped.

And in order to come down,

he was born.

He was born as a baby.

His birth.

And then his perfect life.

And then his atoning death.

And then his resurrection.

And then his ascension into heaven.

And then his sending down

the Holy Spirit.

And now his present intercession.

He is in heaven speaking

to the Father on our behalf.

At the right hand of God.

And then he will return again

in glory to the end of the world.

When he will raise the dead.

And he will finish the work of salvation.

He will give to his people new bodies.

In order that we might live for God

and worship him.

That is salvation in the New Testament.

It is a mighty sweep

of what God has done.

That God has planned in eternity.

And it will find its conclusion

and consummation

in the glory of the world

that is to come.

And within that mighty sweep

of God's plan,

the saving work of Jesus,

the day of Pentecost,

has a vital part.

because it is the application

of our redemption to us

by the Holy Spirit.

Let me show you these elements

in Peter 7.

I'm looking at Acts 2 in verse 22.

If you look there,

it says,

verse 22,

Men of Israel,

hear these words,

Jesus of Nazareth,

a man attested to you by God

with mighty works

and wonders and signs

that God did through him

in your midst

as you yourselves know.

Can you see there,

Peter's speaking of Jesus' manhood.

His leaving heaven's glory,

his incarnation

as a true man.

His God-attested life.

Here is a man attested to you

by God

with mighty works

and wonders

which God did through him.

And then his death,

verse 23.

This Jesus delivered up

according to the definite plan

and foreknowledge of God,

you crucified

and you killed

by the hands of lawless men

so that the death of Jesus

was planned by God

and accomplished by sinners.

And then verse 24,

you've got his resurrection.

God raised him up,

loosing the pangs of death

because it was not possible

for him to be held by it.

And his exaltation,

look at verse 33.

Being therefore exalted

to the right hand of God,

having received from the Father

the promise of the Holy Spirit,

he's poured out this

that you yourselves

are seeing and hearing.

So there it is, isn't it?

The exalting of the Lord Jesus

and the sending of the Holy Spirit.

That is the way

that the apostles preached

the good news of Christianity.

not just a reference

for Jesus dying for our sins,

but this Jesus

left heaven's glory.

He came and he humbled himself

to be a man.

He took our nature.

He lived a perfect life

here on earth.

He offered himself

as the perfect sacrifice.

And he was crucified,

died and was buried.

And then he was raised again

and now he is ascended

to the right hand of God.

And from there

he sent down the Holy Spirit

and one day

this King Jesus

will come again.

That is

the message

of the early church.

And integral

to the message

of the early church

was the coming

of the Holy Spirit.

So can you see

in this sense

the coming of the Holy Spirit

at Pentecost

Pentecost

was a once

for all event.

It's no more

to be repeated

no more to be repeated

than the cross

is to be repeated

or the resurrection

is to be repeated

or the return

of Jesus

will be repeated.

It is a once

for all event

in the outpouring

of the Holy Spirit

subsequent to the death

of Jesus.

And it was

a necessary event.

because at the coming

of the Holy Spirit

all that Jesus

accomplished

is applied

to Christians

by the Holy Spirit.

So these men

are described

as full.

The cynical

Bible bystanders

say they are

well they're full

of wine

they mistake

what they're full of

they think

that they're drunk

but they recognise

don't they

these bystanders

that these people

are full of something.

The Apostle Peter

he tells them

what it is.

He tells them

it is the Holy Spirit

who has come

and he's taken

the saving grace

of God

bought for us

by Jesus

and he's applied it

to the lives

of these men.

And it's because

he is in them

that they are so full.

So I can say this

Pentecost

is a once

for all event

unrepeatable.

but let me say this

the gift of the Holy Spirit

is not once

for all.

For this was

the first fruit

of what was to be

the experience

of every believer.

Can you notice

how the Apostle

preaches it

in Acts 2

Acts 2:38

verse 38

the Holy Spirit

is given to

every believer

who repents

and confesses

Jesus as saviour

and they receive

the forgiveness

of sins.

Verse 37

brothers what shall we do?

That's what the crowd

say what shall we do?

And Peter said to them

repent and be baptised

every one of you

in the name of Jesus Christ

for the forgiveness

of sins

and you will receive

the gift of the Holy Spirit.

So repentance

and faith

and confessing Christ

and receiving

the Holy Spirit

are of the essence

of experiencing salvation

of what it means

to be a Christian.

And so it means this

every true believer

has a personal

Pentecost.

when the Holy Spirit

comes to you

and you repent

and you believe

he comes to indwell you

and he applies

to you

the benefits

of what the Lord

Jesus has done.

In his death

and in his resurrection

he gives to you

an assurance

of faith

of being a child

of God

and he raises you

into newness

of life with him.

so that Jesus Christ

may live out

his life

through you.

That is your

personal Pentecost.

When the Holy Spirit

comes to

dwell in you

according to the promise

that the Apostle Peter

makes here

and that's why

Christianity

is the power

of God

under salvation.

I think that's really

important to us

you might be hearing

you're somebody

who's not a Christian

and you think

what are these people

wanting me to believe?

Are they just

wanting me to understand

certain facts

about Jesus'

life and death

and his resurrection

and his ascension?

Is that what we think

the Christian gospel is?

No,

all of us need to understand

that the Christian gospel

presents you and I

with the promise

that God himself

comes to make

his dwelling

in the heart

of believers.

It is God's purpose

to inhabit you

within

with himself.

So the temple

of God is

we don't go to Jerusalem

we don't have to go

on some sort of pilgrimage

the temple

of God

is

your body

says the apostle

and Pentecost

means that

God the Holy Spirit

comes to

every believer

and indwells him

and inhabits him

and so

if anyone

does not have

the spirit of Christ

he's not his

that's what

Romans 8

says

and that indwelling

if you like

is the personal

Pentecost

when somebody

repents

and trusts

in the Lord Jesus

and they are given

the power

of the Holy Spirit

to help them live

and it's got

a profoundly

important connection

with what the

Passover

pointed to

the death

of Jesus

and the coming

and the outpouring

of the Holy Spirit

on the believing

is taking

the blessings

and the benefits

of what Jesus

has accomplished

and applying them

to you

and so

can I ask you

do you know that?

Do you know

the personal

application

of the powerful

death

of the Lord Jesus

that he has come

to save you

from your rebellion

and your guilt

to raise you

into newness

of life

to experience

the living God

that is

biblical

Christianity

it's not

taking a form

on the passport

that is

New Testament

Christianity

but experiencing

personally

the coming

of God

into your life

by his Holy Spirit

the second thing

when you click

on the day

of Pentecost

is you will find

that it was

a celebration

of the giving

of the law

seems a strange

thing doesn't it

to have a day

celebrating the giving

of a law

but that is the giving

of the law

that Reuben read

to us

in Exodus

Exodus 19 · chapter mention

chapter 19

and 20

on Mount Sinai

50 days

after the original

Passover

and the association

between the giving

of the law

and Pentecost

is of great

significance

the giving

of the law

50 days

after the day

of Pentecost

after the Passover

was designed

wasn't it

the law

to be a revelation

of who God is

but also a standard

for living

a standard

of life

I am the Lord

your God

who brought you

out of Egypt

out of the household

of slavery

therefore because of that

you shall have no other gods

before me

you shall not make

for yourself an idol

you shall not take

the name of the Lord

your God in vain

remember the Sabbath day

to keep it holy

it was to mould

the people of God

into the likeness

of God

it was an external

standard

and the people of God

were to keep

God's law

and God

came to

Israel at Sinai

and he gave them

his Lord

to show them

who he was

and to show them

how he intended

them to live

and he came down

didn't he

in mighty power

in thunder

and lightning

and fire

the loud blast

of a trumpet

which is very significant

when you look at

what happened

in Acts 2

and so let me read

this to some of you

on the morning

of the third day

from Exodus

there were thunders

and lightnings

and a cloud

on the mountain

and a very loud

trumpet blast

and it went up

like the smoke

of a kiln

and the whole mountain

trembled greatly

and as the sound

of the trumpet

grew louder

and louder

Moses spoke

and God answered

him in thunder

and the Lord

came down

Mount Sinai

in order to give

the law

in order to shape

the lives

of his people

who had been redeemed

that's what the law

of God

was intended for

God came down

spoke to his people

and his people

were to be changed

but if you know

your Bible

you'll know

that isn't what happened

that God's ultimate purpose

was not merely

to leave his people

with an external law

but God's purpose

was to write

his law

on our hearts

to put his spirit

within them

let me read to you

from Exodus 36

where the prophet

says this

it's a promise of God

I will give you

a new heart

and a new spirit

and I will put

within you

and I will remove

the heart of stone

from your flesh

and give you

I will remove

the heart of stone

from your flesh

and give you

a heart of flesh

and I will put

my spirit

within you

that will cause you

to walk in my statutes

and my laws

think of what

that promise meant

to the people

of Israel

they'd listened

to the law

being read

week by week

like we do

and they knew

that they didn't

keep it

they'd broken it

they knew

that despite

resolving

to try better

and to try better

they knew

that they couldn't

do it

and that they

needed a new

heart

and God

says

I will come

and I will

sprinkle you

with clean water

and you should

be clean

it was their

cleansing

and I'll give

you a new

heart

and a new

spirit

I will put

within you

and I will

take away

that old

stony heart

and I will

give you

a heart

of flesh

and I will

put my

spirit

within you

so that you

might walk

in my laws

now where

was that

fulfilled

where was

that fulfilled

it's Acts

Acts 2 · chapter mention

chapter 2

in the

outpouring

of the

spirit

of God

because this

is the day

when God

sends his

spirit

and he

transforms

the character

of his

people

and so if

you want

to see

the apostle

Paul's

reference

to this

you need

to flick

over to

2 Corinthians

3

and there

the apostle

Paul

he contrasts

what it's

like to live

by religious

law

to the

time of

the

spirit

this is what

he says

such is the

confidence that

we have

through Christ

towards God

not that we're

sufficient in

ourselves to

claim anything

that's coming

from us

but our

sufficiency is

from God

who's made us

sufficient to be

ministers of a

new covenant

here's the point

not of the

letter but of

the spirit

for the letter

kills but the

spirit of

gives life

and now if the

ministry of

death carved

in letters on

stone came

with such glory

that the

Israelites couldn't

even gaze

at Moses

face because

of its glory

which has

been brought

to an end

will not the

ministry of

the spirit

have even

more glory

for if there

was glory

in the

ministry of

condemnation

the ministry

of righteousness

must far

exceed it in

glory

what does it

all amount to

it amounts to

this

now the

Lord is the

spirit

and where the

spirit of the

Lord is there

is freedom

and we

all with

unveiled faces

behold the

glory of the

Lord and

we're being

transformed

into the

same image

from one

glory to

another for

this comes

from the

Lord who

is the

Holy Spirit

listen to

this what

is the

Holy Spirit

given to

you

given to

do

the Holy

Spirit is

given to

us as we

trust in the

Lord Jesus

Christ to

write God's

law on our

hearts

and to

take our

character

the least

likely of

us

the weakest

of us

those who

this morning

may be on

the verge

of giving

up the

struggle

and they

feel absolutely

hopeless

and the

Holy Spirit

takes our

character

and he

moulds us

and he

changes us

from one

degree of

glory to

another

until we

bear the

image of

the Lord

Jesus

and that

is what

salvation is

about

it is not

a little

thing

it is not

being

religious

it is not

trying your

best

it is the

changing of

our character

which we

cannot do

on our

own

until it

reflects the

glory and

the beauty

of the

Lord Jesus

and the

Holy Spirit

comes to

us and

that is

what his

job is

and so at

Pentecost he

comes down in

the sound of

a mighty

rushing wind

and tongues

of flaming

fire

it's what

the promise

is for

that the

wonderful

works of

God

the life

of God

might be

seen in

the souls

and lives

of men

and women

and boys

and girls

it's why

isn't it

when the

New Testament

goes on to

speak about

the effects

of the Holy

Spirit in

someone

it speaks

about fruit

the fruit

of the

Spirit

is love

joy

peace

gentleness

goodness

self control

and so

on

what are

those things

those things

are this

they are

the law

of God

being written

on the

hearts of

men and

women

and on

the day

of Pentecost

that is

what God

is doing

the third

thing

that the day

of Pentecost

was associated

with again

was again

from Leviticus

23 and it's

the feast

of first fruits

in other

words

the day

of Pentecost

was a

harvest

celebration

and Jews

came to it

from every

corner

of the

world

as they

did at

the Passover

the first

years of

ripe corn

were offered

up to God

and the

first fruits

were part

of the

harvest

the first

fruits

were part

of the

harvest

but they

were the

promise

of the

rest of

it

they were

like a

deposit

and so

do you

see

how

perfectly

God

chooses

his

times

and his

season

how

beautifully

this

helps

us

to

understand

what

is

the

great

significance

of

Pentecost

in Acts

Acts 2 · chapter mention

chapter 2

the great

significance

of it

is this

that we

were to

see the

first fruits

of God's

harvest

on that

day there

were 3,000

who were

added to

the church

and day

by day

God

kept

adding to

the church

those who

were being

saved

the first

fruits of

the harvest

were here

and that

harvest is

still being

gathered even

this morning

all over

the world

and the

end of that

harvest will

not be until

Jesus comes

again

now what

does this

tell

about

Pentecost

it tells

us that

Pentecost

perhaps above

everything else

is a missionary

event

and the

spirit

filled

church

was born

on the

day of

Pentecost

the tongues

of fire

verse 3

seem to have

significance

particularly

don't they

verse 3

divided tongues

as a fire

appeared to

them and

rested on

each one

of them

and they

were all

filled with

the Holy

Spirit

and began

to speak

in other

tongues

as the

Spirit

gave

utterance

so can

you see

that the

speaking of

tongues

here in

Acts 2

is closely

associated

with the

preaching

and praising

of God

in the

presence of

these people

who've come

from every

corner of

the world

look at

verse 5

they were

dwelling in

Jerusalem

Jews

devout

men

from every

nation

under

heaven

and as

the sound

of the

multitude

came

together

they were

bewildered

because

each one

hearing

them speak

in his

own

language

and they

were amazed

and astonished

saying aren't

these who

are speaking

Galilean

and at the

end of

verse 11

we hear

them telling

in our

own

tongues

the mighty

works of

God

the significance

of tongues

is important

why is it so

important

it's saying

isn't it

because right

from the

beginning

this will be

a missionary

church that

will go out

into the

ends of

the earth

to speak

in the

language

of these

people

who've

come from

if you

check

where

the

details

are

they've

come

from the

north

the south

the east

and the west

from every

corner of the

world

and God

came down

in tongues

to enable

them to

speak

clearly

the wonderful

works of

God

to every

creature

you might

say Paul

you've missed

the most

obvious thing

of all

about the

day of

Pentecost

what's the

most obvious

thing of all

about Pentecost

well if you

go back to

Genesis

in Genesis

Genesis 11 · chapter mention

chapter 11

everyone spoke

the same

language

do you remember

the Tower of

Babel

everyone spoke

the same

language

and they

used that

language

common language

they used

that to

defy God

they wanted

to not

fulfil God's

purposes

they wanted

to build a

tower to

heaven

and make

a name

for themselves

and God

scatters

them

and he

confuses

their language

so they

cannot

understand

one another

and so

suddenly

different

languages

are born

in Genesis

11

and yet

Christ

comes

and the

Holy Spirit

comes

and what

happens in

Acts 2

it is the

reversal

of

Babel

it is the

reversal

of the

curse

and so

Acts 2

is not

saying you

all start

off to

babble

in a

different

language

in an

unknown

language

in fact

it's

saying the

exact

opposite

is saying

that because

of Christ

and because

of the

work of

the Holy

Spirit

the curse

of Babel

is being

removed

and the

first fruits

of the

harvest

are coming

in

and so

this should

enormously

encourage us

shouldn't it

this should

be

wonderfully

wonderfully

encouraging

look around

you

just look

around you

and see

where the

people are

from

they are

not all

from

Wales

they are

not all

from

England

God

by his

Holy Spirit

is calling

the nations

to himself

the missionary

expansion

of the

church

and God

has come

down

and God's

people

are being

filled

with the

Spirit

can you

just see

with me

as we

finish

what is

the result

of people

understanding

the gospel

in their

language

can you

see verse

37

verse 37

when they

heard this

here is the

authentic

response

to hearing

the message

of the

Lord Jesus

Christ

that he

is Lord

and Christ

this Jesus

whom you

crucified

they were

cut to the

heart

and they

cried

what shall

we do

and Peter

said to

them

repent

and be

baptized

every one

of you

in the

name of

Jesus

Christ

for the

forgiveness

of sins

when you

repent

what happens

you will

receive the

gift of

the Holy

Spirit

and this

promise

this promise

of the Holy

Spirit is

for you

and it's

for your

children

and it's

for those

who are

far off

everyone

whom the

Lord our

God

calls to

himself

so it

may be

this morning

that you've

recognized

actually I

don't know

the Lord

Jesus

Christ

I don't

know the

Lord Jesus

Christ

and I

want to

ask you

this morning

I want to

plead with

you

to call

on him

to ask

him

to forgive

your sins

to thank

you for

that incredible

salvation of

event of

him leaving

the glory of

heaven

and becoming

a human

being

and living

a perfect

life

and dying

a death

that you

deserve

and then

being buried

and raised

and ascended

and today

he is pouring

out his

Holy Spirit

and so believe

on the Lord

Jesus Christ

and you will

be saved

let's pray

and so

thank you

for

your

time

and so

for

time

!