The Spirit Filled Church | Myles Holmes

So good to be together this morning.

If you have a copy of God's word, you can open it up to Acts chapter two.

If you don't have a copy of God's word with you, our ushers are making their way down the aisle.

You can flag one of them down, and they would love to get a copy into your hands, which you can keep as our gift to you.

You're gonna see this morning that this church loves God's word, and that's all we want to proclaim.

It's all we want to hear.

Now I am a little bit reminiscent this morning.

I don't know about how you feel about this morning.

This is indeed our last Sunday in this building.

Now, to the people that are sitting in the glory of the magnified sunspot, they are very happy.

And as the sun moves throughout the service, a few others will join them in their happiness.

There are some reasons to be excited, but I find myself thinking about this reality that next year this room will, next, sorry, next week, this room will still be here.

The walls will still be standing.

We think they'll still be standing.

This room will be empty.

There might be someone outside in the door knocking.

Where is everybody?

They forgot.

We can place the over-under on who we think that person will be next week.

This room will be empty.

The church will be gone.

We know that to be theologically true, don't we?

And so my heart gets sentimental on a morning like this because I've been the pastor of this church for four and a half years now, and I think all of it has been done on Sunday mornings in this place.

And I remember some people that freshly gave their life to Christ and were baptized right here.

And I remember so many times where the word of God, through the Spirit of God, spoke to the people of God in this place.

And so my heart is a little sentimental as I think about leaving this place.

And yet, theologically, I'm reminded of this reality that the church is a people, that the church is not a building, to which we say, praise God sometimes about this building.

Leaving this room, then, this being the very last time that I preach from this stage, Lord willing, please answer my prayer.

It really makes that truth visible.

What makes the church, and this is any church, but what makes redemption church extraordinary is that God Himself has chosen to dwell not in the walls of this building, but in the people by his spirit.

But as you read through the scriptures, you begin to understand that since the fall of Adam and Eve, the greatest problem of humanity has been the inability to dwell in the presence of the God who created them.

And you start to trace this through scripture, and what you see is this constant and relentless pursuit of a God who desires to dwell in the midst of his people, but is constantly separated by their sin.

And you see it in the tabernacle when Israel constructs a tent in the wilderness and they can't go into the tent.

Only one intercessor, Moses, can go into the tent to be with God.

And Israel is separated by a tent.

And when they build a temple, it becomes even more intense as the innermost chamber of the temple is the holy of holies, where the presence of God dwells, and to go in there is one of the most dangerous things that you can do.

The people of God separated by their sin from God.

And Jesus comes and He speaks about the temple and he actually talks about how the temple is fulfilled in his body, and he says, In in three days, I'm gonna tear this temple and I'm gonna raise it up.

And the people who are awaiting the promises of God hear that, and there's this excitement growing because they understand the problem of humanity has been this: the the people of God missing the presence of God because of their sin.

Now, what we find in in Acts chapter two this morning is this astounding resolve to the tension of the story that goes throughout scripture.

At Pentecost, the risen Jesus reigning and seated in heaven pours out his spirit, and he pours out his spirit, loved one, on his people.

God then dwells in his people, and he answers the question that we have been asking so far in Acts.

How is God going to make his name known to the world?

And how will God make his name known to us?

This is what Luke says in chapter 1, verse 1.

You can read it there if you lift your eyes up a few verses, that Luke is dealing with all that Jesus began to do and teach.

And as he ascends, it answers the question: how will Jesus begin to do and teach all that he desires when he's no longer on earth?

Again, the thesis is verse 8 by way of reminder, where Jesus says to his apostles and therefore to us, but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in Judea and all and Samaria and all the ends of the earth.

Jesus promises power when the Spirit comes, Jesus says, when you receive the Spirit, you will have power and be able to reach the ends of the earth.

That's what I want you to see this morning in Acts 2.

It really is the fulfillment of what Jesus promised.

And what we're learning this morning is that Jesus has given us his spirit, making us a people through whom God makes himself known.

Let me say that again because I don't want you to miss the main idea of our message this morning that Jesus has given us his spirit.

Loved one, you have the very Spirit of God.

And by the Spirit of God dwelling upon you and in you, Jesus is making you a person through whom God is made known.

I love this.

When the disciples say to Jesus, Lord, is this the time where you will restore the kingdom to Israel?

What does Jesus say to them?

No, no, no, but you will be my witnesses.

And loved ones, Jesus looks to you this morning.

He looks to you this morning, and he points the finger at you, and he says, You, you're the plan.

You are the temple.

You are the one through by my spirit I will dwell on you, and through whom the world will know me.

I want you to see this in Acts chapter 2, and so we're going to read it together.

Acts 2 · chapter mention

As we do, I would ask that you stand with me.

Acts chapter 2, verses 1 to 13.

Acts 2:1–13

When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place, and suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind.

And it filled the entire house where they were sitting.

And divided tongues as of 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 them utterance.

Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven.

And at this sound the multitude came together and they were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language.

And they were amazed and astonished, saying, Are not all these who are speaking Galileans?

And how is it that we hear each of us in his own native language?

Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontius and Asia, Phigia and Pamphylia, Egypt, and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians.

We hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.

And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, What does this mean?

But others mocking said, They are filled with new wine.

Luke is answering the question, how will God make himself known through you?

And we're gonna see two things this morning that first, God makes himself known by what he does among his people, and then what he does through his people.

Notice first this morning that God makes himself known among us by giving us his spirit.

The question from the very beginning of scripture is this how can a holy, perfectly righteous God dwell in the midst of a sinful people?

God's desire is to dwell with his people, but the story of scripture is that is that the his people keep turning away from him.

And every time they turn, it begins in Adam and Eve from the very first time.

God clothes them in his righteousness, he seeks them in his grace, and he provides for them his presence.

It is a recurring story throughout the people of Israel, generation after generation, person after person.

And beloved one, it's it's our story too, isn't it?

In our life, a constant turning away.

I mean, I love the hymn, prone to wander.

Lord, I feel that.

Don't you feel that sometimes?

It's like you wake up in the morning and you're asking yourself, how long is it gonna take for me this morning?

How long is it gonna take, Lord, before I wander away from your grace?

Before I wander away from your command.

And and the story of scripture and the story of our lives, loved one, if your faith is in Jesus Christ, is the story of a relentless God who keeps pursuing his people.

Loved one, God wants to meet you this morning.

God wants to dwell within you this morning.

God wants you to draw you to himself.

He wants to meet you this morning.

Do you believe that?

I mean, we know our sin.

We know the ways that we've forgotten his grace this week.

We know that all the times we've missed scripture reading we said we were gonna do, all the times we failed to love the people that we should love the most.

We know how much we failed.

And yet the gospel is this that God wants to be in your presence.

When Amber and I were dating, we did everything that we could do to be together.

I noticed as soon as I share an Amber story, everyone stares at Amber and just feels horrible.

And this is the lot she bears as a pastor's wife.

We did everything we could to be together when we were dating.

It still is one of the greatest joys of our lives is to be married and to spend so much time doing so much together.

We we love it.

Now, when we were dating early on in our dating career, if I can call it that, I can call it that because it was really important to me.

I put a lot of effort into it.

I somehow got the notion that Amber liked soy milk.

Now, I don't like soy milk.

If I could destroy one beverage in the world, it would be soy milk, I think.

But I I somehow got the impression that she liked it.

Further review of the story, I don't know where I got that from, but I got it somewhere.

And so I started looking up recipes, and I suggested, hey, why don't we get together?

We'll make some soy milk together.

We did get together and we made some soy milk, and it was really disgusting.

Why did I I wanted to be with her?

It didn't matter what we were doing, the joy was being together, and that was a blossoming love, a love that delights to be in the presence of the one it loves.

That human affection that we've all experienced is a small window into the gracious wonder of God's love.

He longs to bring sinners into fellowship with himself.

And so, loved one, listen, if you're here and you're not a sinner, well then you're not gonna experience anything.

But I have good news for you.

If you feel the weight of sin and shame on your shoulders this morning, God wants to meet with you.

And he has made every way possible for you through the forgiveness that is in Jesus Christ, for you to be welcomed near, and he delights in it.

He loves it.

Now, Pentecost is the arrival of the promised gift that Jesus gave to his disciples, that he would not only be with them, but through his Holy Spirit be in them.

Notice then in verse one, look down at your copy of God's word.

Luke says, when the day of Pentecost arrived, he's talking about a day that is well known by the disciples and well known by the Jews.

The day of Pentecost was not a new holiday, it was the Greek name for the end of the festival of weeks.

Pentecost simply means 50.

And on the 50th day, a festival that the Jewish people would celebrate every year would end.

At the festival of weeks, Israel counted the seven weeks from Passover.

And on the 50th day, after celebrating for seven weeks long, they gathered for a feast.

Now, over the feast of weeks, they would celebrate God's provision.

They would remind each other, hey, hey, you remember when we were in the desert and God provided us not only manna, he also provided us his presence in a fire and cloud that went in the desert and showed them the way to go.

God is a God who provides, and so here on the 50th day, we are going to celebrate through a feast the provision that God gives.

Now, this is a special Pentecost because the disciples here had just met with Jesus, and Jesus told them to wait for the promise of the Father.

To wait for the promise of the Father.

So then in verse 2, that is what you find them doing.

They are together in one place.

And verse 2, suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house.

Notice what they are doing, where they were sitting.

I don't know why Luke provides that detail that not they were not standing, they were sitting.

And part of me thinks it's because of this.

Luke wants you to know that what they were doing in this house was nothing.

They were sitting, they were waiting, they were reclining, and whatever the ancient Near Eastern version of a leather recliner is, that's what they're doing.

And that is when the Holy Spirit comes.

They can do nothing to produce the gift that God gives.

And it is entirely merited by his grace.

And it's instructive for us, loved ones.

Pentecost only comes one time, and yet the heart of the disciples is so instructive here that before Jesus ever sends us, he will give us all that is needed.

You will go to the ends of the earth, he says, but my power must be given to you first.

Before Jesus sends, he gives.

And it's instructive here that we're told in verse 14 of chapter one that all these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer.

They understood this: that the mission, it was given to them, but the power belonged to Jesus.

We don't need to wait to receive the Spirit again after Pentecost.

We do need the heart of dependence that the disciples had from the very beginning.

And loved ones, the principle is this you can do a lot of things after you pray.

Let us not be a people who do anything before we pray.

We must be dependent on the Holy Spirit.

They are together in one place, they are sitting, they are doing nothing but depending on God in prayer.

And verse two, we are we are told suddenly two things happen.

They hear a mighty sound from heaven, the mighty rushing wind.

And they see divided tongues as of fire appearing on each one of them.

Now, Luke here is drawing us into exactly what's happening by giving us the sights and the sounds of heaven.

Notice that the sound they hear, Luke tells us, is like a mighty rushing wind.

It is like a breath.

Same word here is used for the spirit.

Throughout the Old Testament, we see the breath of God giving life around it.

You see it in Genesis 1, where the world is in chaos.

There's no organization to it.

And it says the spirit is hovering above the waters, and it is spirit, the spirit who brings order and chaos.

You remember Ezekiel in the valley of the dry bones.

That it is the wind of God, it is the breath of God that gives life to the dead valley of dry bones.

The spirit gives life.

They hear the sound of rushing wind and immediately they know what is happening.

The spirit of God is coming into this place.

Not only do they hear the sound of the mighty rushing wind.

As they hear this sound, their mind would be immediately brought to other places in Scripture where God descended to the midst of his people, and there was a mighty sound in their midst.

Their minds would be brought to Sinai in Exodus 19, where the Lord descended on the mountain, and we're told in Exodus 19 that there was a sound of thunder.

There was a sound of a loud trumpet.

And not only that on Sinai, there was also a thick cloud of smoke and fire on the top of the mountain.

It was what's called a theophany.

God was making his presence known in the midst of the people.

Now it's fascinating here that Luke draws our minds back to Mount Sinai because Jewish tradition tells us that at the Feast of Weeks, one of the things that the Jewish people studied was the giving of the law at Sinai.

And so for seven weeks, these Jews have been studying what God had provided for them on Mount Sinai and how God had revealed himself through fire and a loud sound.

And here in this house, as the disciples are gathered, there is not only a loud sound, there is tongues of fire coming on the apostles.

You can imagine then, experiencing this in Acts 2, with the sounds and sights of Sinai ringing in your ears and in your eyes.

Just like at Sinai, once again a people are gathered, and once again a God descends, and once again there is sound and there is fire.

And yet, loved one, I want you to notice an incredible difference here.

That at Sinai, when the presence of God descended on the top of the mountain, the people of God were told to make a boundary at the bottom of it.

That they were not allowed into the presence of God, that God's holiness would be too dangerous to sinners.

And so, in order to protect them, he made a boundary that they could not pass.

It was just like in the Garden of Eden.

After Adam and Eve sinned, we're told that God placed a cherubim there, that that to enter into the very presence of God was now too dangerous for his people because of their sin.

And so in order to protect them, he would keep them out of his presence.

But uh loved one, do you notice where the tongues of fire rest in Acts chapter two?

Do you see it there in verse three?

And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them.

God is taking up residence just like he did throughout the entire Old Testament in His people.

It's in His people.

And the question that we're confronted with is how can this holy presence that wet once kept sinners at a distance now rest upon each one of them?

How can this be?

When God's glory filled the tabernacle, we're told in Exodus 40 that Moses could not enter.

When the presence The presence of God filled the temple.

We are, it's laid out for us in 2 Chronicles chapter 7.

2 Chronicles 7 · chapter mention

The priests cannot enter.

There's all sorts of rules and rituals about the sinful people entering into the presence of God.

Now, now in Acts chapter 2, that Jesus has been exalted to the right hand.

Acts 2 · chapter mention

He pours out his spirit, and the spirit doesn't rest in a place, it rests on the people.

What has happened?

Now I want to steal a little bit from next week's sermon, but I want you to look down at verse 33 with me.

And after Pentecost, the people will be begging for an explanation, and Peter will stand up and he will preach a message.

And I want you to notice how he interprets what happened at Pentecost.

Look at verse 33 with me.

Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God.

And having received from the Father, that is Jesus, having received from the Father the promise of this Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.

Peter interprets the sights and sounds that came on that day and hear his what he said.

It is such a triune picture of the Father fulfilling his promise to Jesus that he would sit at the right hand of God and Jesus pouring out his Holy Spirit to his people.

It is a picture of God making his church, those who place their faith in Jesus Christ, the very dwelling place of God.

And loved one, what I want you to see is that the gift is from the risen Christ.

How do sinners enter into the holy presence of God?

It is by the hand of Jesus who has brought sinners near.

This is incredible reality.

Love when I would plead with you this morning to just don't let anything distract you from the theological reality that the scriptures are speaking to us this morning.

That the risen and ascended and reigning Jesus Christ has poured out his spirit on each of us because he has made a way by his blood.

It's the gospel.

It is what we rehearse every time we gather together.

I love what the writer of Hebrews says in Hebrews chapter 10.

Hebrews 10 · chapter mention

It's gonna come up on the screen, I think.

Here it is.

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is through his flesh.

And since we have a great priest over the house of God, loved one, listen to this encouragement.

Let us draw near with a true heart and full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

You know what's in there?

Your sin.

Jesus is saying, you're gonna come into this place with an unclean conscience.

You will never enter my presence in a state where you're totally perfect and you're completely happy with the way that your life has gone.

You will always be in my presence as a sinner.

You will always be aware of the many reasons you should not dwell here.

Don't enter by the presence, by the confidence in your righteousness, enter by the confidence that is the blood of Jesus Christ that has been shed so that there can be a way made for sinners to draw near.

Draw near into the presence through the blood of Jesus.

Loved one, do you see what's available to you?

Do you see what's available to a sinner to enter through the blood of Jesus and be in the very throne room of God, the very holy holies of God, where the Father is, where the Son is seated at the right hand, beckoning you to come?

I know you're sinful.

I know you've failed.

I have made a way by my blood.

If he's made a way, will we not draw near to him?

Listen, then the application is where are you standing this morning?

Where are you standing this morning?

Are you at the foot of Sinai?

Are you still living under the law?

Are you still feeling guilty coming into the presence of God because you're standing at the foot of Sinai and you're looking at the boundary and you're saying there's no way a sinner can go through?

Or by the blood of Jesus, loved one, are you in the very throne room of God?

Dwelling in his presence.

If you don't know Jesus, I want you to understand that there has been a way made for you to enter into the presence of God by the blood of Jesus.

It cannot be by your own righteousness.

It is by what he has done, living the perfect life for you, dying the death that you never wanted to die, being raised with the life that you always longed for.

Jesus has made a way.

Notice then what is able to happen because of what Jesus has accomplished.

Notice where the fire lands.

I love, I mean, we need to allow this to convict us.

The fire doesn't just land on Peter.

It doesn't just land on the leaders of the church.

The fire doesn't just land on the most capable, committed Christians there.

You notice what Luke is emphasizing here?

And the fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them.

And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.

Each one of them, all of them.

Jesus gives his spirit to his gathered people.

We are told that it descends on them like tongues of fire.

What that looks like, we don't know, but the significance we will see.

It's not the only time that tongues are going to be mentioned in this passage.

It is a visible picture of the presence of God.

And what we at least know by the tongues of fire is that this the presence of the Holy Spirit coming into believers gives them a voice.

Gives them a voice.

If Jesus has brought us near, if Jesus has brought us into his presence, then we need to consider where we stand when we pray and worship.

I love what Mark read this morning in Ephesians chapter 2, verse 18.

Ephesians 2:18

You see it there, that we have access to Christ, to the Father through Christ in one spirit.

In Hebrews chapter 12, you can study this later, verses 22 to 24, we're actually told by the writer of Hebrews that we have come to the heavenly Jerusalem.

Hebrews 12 · chapter mention

That we are worshiping with a heavenly assembly, that angels even here are worshiping spiritually with us, and we have Jesus as the mediator.

You know what that means?

It means that the Christian simultaneously lives two realities.

Right now, your feet are planted on earth, right?

Mine are, I'm standing on the stage, yours are.

You're seated on a chair, incredibly uncomfortable.

You're very aware of it, right?

You are here bodily on earth.

The scriptures say that by faith you are in the heavenly throne of grace.

You know, loved one, that is where you are.

If you are in Christ, that's where you are, whether you feel it or not this morning.

While your feet are planted on earth, spiritually you are in heaven through Jesus.

By his spirit, you have access to the throne room of God.

You know, something that has been incredibly helpful in not only my personal prayer, but my corporate worship is bringing my mind, bringing my mind's eye to the throne room scenes that Scripture gives us.

Quite often I'll be in this front row and I'll even close my eyes and picture what Scripture tells us is spiritually true.

And I close my eyes and in my mind's eye, there's the throne that the Father is seated on, and the Father is spirit, and and so from that throne in my mind, there's a radiant, glorious light shining from it.

It's it's just more bright than you could ever possibly imagine.

And and seated at the right hand of the Father is Jesus in this glorious throne room.

And Jesus is beckoning you in.

He's saying, Come on, come into the presence.

I've made a way for you to be here.

And around the throne, there's seraphim and cherubim, angels worshiping God, crying out 24-7, holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty.

And we're even given in the book of Revelations a picture of the elders falling before Jesus, casting their crowns at his feet, and I stand there and I worship God there.

And all of a sudden, Joel, he disappears from the stage, and I hear the voices of God's people singing behind me.

You got to sit in the front to really experience this, okay?

So move.

You can do it where you are too.

You're in the throne room of God and loved one.

It's not imaginary.

It is theologically true that that is where you are.

Your imagination doesn't have to open up the way.

Jesus has opened up the way.

Remembering what scripture says then helps us to attend to what has actually happened.

God has welcomed us into his presence.

Can we then apply this to our lives?

Loved ones, when you pray, when you read scripture, when you sing at church, is it evident that you are in the very throne room of God?

You know what I find too often to be true is that while our feet are planted on this floor, our mind is really on it's on work, it's on our family, it's on what we're gonna have for lunch, it's on the this thing that's causing us anxiety, and and God is calling us, hey, listen, that you have this theological reality through the blood of Jesus.

Will you not come into the throne room?

Will you not come into my presence?

You draw near to the gate to enjoy the God who has welcomed you.

It changes how we gather.

It changes how we sing together, it changes how we pray together, it changes how we read the word as needy people that Jesus has brought near and joined by his spirit.

You know what I also love about the reality that the spirit is among us, that God's presence is among us through his Holy Spirit, is that after this service, there is a handful of faithful servants of God who are gonna pack everything up and they're gonna put it in a truck and they're gonna bring it over to the new building after the service.

And we're so thankful for that.

You know, you know what I love?

The Spirit of God will not be in that truck.

The Spirit of God goes with the people.

The Spirit of God is now dwelling in his people.

And next Sunday we will gather again, and you know where the Spirit of God will be in that place.

I mean, I I love this.

As someone who's you know sentimental over all this changing and leaving this place, I just can't help but to think that when we move and gather at a new location, I'm just saying it a hundred times so that you remember next week, go to the new location, King Christian school.

When we are there, the Spirit of God will be there too.

Spirit of God goes with his people.

The address changes what he has made us does not.

Now the spirit then fills these believers, and and you notice immediately they speak.

That's what I want you to see, secondly, that God makes himself known not only among us, he makes us himself known through us.

He makes himself known through us as we declare his mighty works.

Notice then, as soon as the Holy Spirit falls in the second half of verse 4, they begin to speak.

They begin to speak.

The Spirit gives them utterance.

The Spirit who fills their hearts sets their tongues on fire for the mission of God.

It is the same order that Jesus said it would be as in verse eight.

You will receive power and you will be my witnesses.

The spirit fills them, sets their hearts on fire, and then sets their tongues on fire.

Now it's fascinating that we know exactly what they speak.

In verse 14, again, borrowing from next week's sermon, but that's okay.

In verse 14, Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them.

He is explaining what has happened, and you'll notice in verse 16, it says, But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel.

What is happening from the very beginning?

The Holy Spirit is proclaiming Jesus from the written word.

The Spirit is inspiring the Word, has inspired the Word, and now He is illuminating the Word and the hearts of the people who have seen these mighty works.

That then is what it means to be spirit-filled.

It means to be word-filled.

It means to be Christ proclaiming.

Now, I want you to notice that throughout Scripture, the Word of God and the Spirit of God go hand in hand.

The word of God is what the Spirit of God illuminates.

You will remember that when Paul talks about the armor of God in Ephesians 6, the only offensive weapon we have is the sword.

It is the sword that is God's word, and what is it the sword of?

It is the sword of the spirit.

And all through Acts we will see this.

The Spirit of God is using the Word of God to illuminate the truth of the gospel to his people.

To be a spirit-filled church is not defined by unpredictable events, by intense experiences, or by supernatural gifts.

When the spirit comes on God's people, the people of God then proclaim Christ in a way that can be understood.

You notice that about Acts 2?

That when the Spirit of God comes, what begins to happen?

People understand what's happening.

They see a mighty work has happened here and they long to know more.

And Peter stands up, and what does he do?

He proclaims the word of God.

The Spirit does not lead us beyond Scripture.

A spirit-filled church, then, is a word-filled church.

It is a Christ-proclaiming church.

Now that's not to say that there's no experience.

Acts two is filled with experience.

And our prayer for you this morning is that you would experience the living God.

It is to say that when the Holy Spirit speaks through his people, he speaks according to his word.

That as we long to experience God, we should understand that the way that the Spirit speaks is when God's word is open.

When conviction comes through the word, when comfort comes through the word.

When the word fires up our passion.

Love one, that's the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit speaking to you.

It should not happen in a people whose hearts are made of sin and flesh.

It's the work of the Holy Spirit to work according to his word.

And so then we long for an experience.

We long to experience the Holy Spirit, but loved one, we need a biblical theology of what that looks like.

The Spirit, when he comes, opens the mouths of his people to declare the truth.

That is why, you know what I love about Redemption Church?

You know what I love about being the pastor here?

Every Sunday I preach, I get to talk to different people about the way that the word has impacted them.

And I almost never hear the same thing.

One person will hear the message and just say, Wow, that was, I mean, that was hellfire and brimstone.

You were really convicting me as you preached.

And another person hears it and says, I was so comforted.

And it's the same message, it's a different result.

What is it?

The Holy Spirit of God.

One person hears it and they need encouragement.

Another person hears it and they need theological strengthening.

And so they have questions.

Sometimes people come up to me and they tell me something that I said, I didn't even say it.

Well, what is that?

It is the Holy Spirit of God illuminating his word in the hearts of his people.

Now, notice that in Acts 2, the work that the Holy Spirit is doing is to make the gospel understandable.

You notice that?

Luke keeps coming back to this.

Look at verse 6.

And this at this sound, the multitude came together and they were bewildered because each one was hearing them speak in his own language.

Look at verse 8.

How is it that we hear each one of us in his own native language?

Verse 11, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians, we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.

The crowd hears the mighty works of God in words that it can understand.

The spirit overcomes the language barrier.

That is the supernatural gift of tongues in the scriptures.

That is why in 1 Corinthians 14, when Paul is talking to the church about experiencing the gift of tongues, he says, I would rather speak five understandable words of instruction over 10,000 in a tongue.

Because what happened, what started to happen was people were standing up and that they were speaking in different languages, but there was someone speaking in French and there were no French speakers there.

So Paul stands up and he says, What are we doing here?

Why are we speaking in different languages when God has gathered people in the Corinthian church who speak the same language?

That's the supernatural gift of what's happening when the Spirit comes and the people of God speak and each person understands them.

The supernatural work of the Holy Spirit is to make revelation clearer.

This then is where our church and in its doctrine would separate itself from some of the charismatic movement.

I say some because I don't want to broad brush it.

There are incredibly different things that we're talking about when we say the charismatic movement, but there is some of the charismatic movement that over-emphasizes what I would argue is an experience of the Spirit that actually makes revelation more clouded.

That at the cost of making clear what the scriptures say and allowing the Holy Spirit to take that word to hearts that by sin and flesh are deaf, they actually cloud the gospel, seeking what they might call supernatural activity.

We then need to be cautious when claims of supernatural activity diminish clarity, order, and attention to God's word.

Now, while doing that, we pray that people would understand the word.

We understand the impossibility of what is being asked of us this morning, that without the Holy Spirit illuminating to our minds the very word of God, we cannot hear.

We want people to leave, and notice what they say in verse 11.

We heard in our own tongues the mighty works of God.

You know how I know that the Spirit fills this church is because I get to talk to people who come to this church.

And you know, sometimes they've grown up in the church their whole life.

And I I don't I don't put anything against their pastors.

I think probably what happened was they didn't have the spirit of God, and they come and they say, Man, what you're saying was so relevant to my life.

It was so relevant to my life.

Why is that?

Because the Holy Spirit speaks through the Word of God and makes the mighty works of God understandable, makes them clear.

It happens all the time.

It happens all the time that I get to speak to people who just say that was such a relevant word for my life.

And I say, Praise the Lord, that has to be the work of the Holy Spirit.

Because you know, I've stood, I've sat in a room with other people and explained as clearly as I possibly can.

And it's like speaking to a brick wall.

You know why?

Because they're not illuminated by the Spirit of God.

This is what the Spirit does, he He makes revelation clearer.

Now, now, what happens then is after the apostles and the people who are filled with the Spirit of God begin to speak in these different languages, Luke then widens the scene.

The Spirit comes upon the church and it turns the church outward.

Notice who is hearing.

Verse 5 says, devout Jews from every nation under heaven.

Then Paul moves through the list from verse 9 to 11, and I'm not gonna read it again because I really had my shattered, my confidence shattered trying to read some of those names.

But but you see this long list, and what is Luke doing?

He's actually recalling a chapter in Genesis called the Table of Nations, Genesis chapter 10.

Genesis 10 · chapter mention

And in that chapter, there are, depends on how you count it, either 70 or 72 nations that God says this is the world after Noah and the flood came and the descendants started to multiply again.

This is where the world is at now.

Now, Jewish people either count this as 70 or 72.

And Luke has been doing something through the gospels.

He actually does it in Luke chapter 9.

Luke 9 · chapter mention

You can flip back there if you want.

I find this incredibly fascinating.

Some of you will find this incredibly boring.

However, we're here right now and I'm speaking, and unless you're gonna leave, you gotta listen to what I'm gonna say, okay?

Luke chapter 9, verse 1.

Luke 9:1

Jesus calls the 12 together and gave them power and authority over all demons to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal.

What do the 12 represent?

They represent Israel.

Israel's mission to the world was always to make God known through the promise of Abraham to be a blessing to the nations.

And so here Jesus is saying, I'm picking 12.

I'm picking 12 people.

You're gonna go out and you are going to proclaim the kingdom of God.

Now flip forward to chapter 10.

Notice there in chapter 10, verse 7, verse 1, after this, the Lord appointed 72 others and sent them on ahead.

You have a little note there in your Bible, just like I do.

Against 72, it says some scripts, some manuscripts say 70.

What's happening here?

Jesus is saying, I am going to use Israel to reach the world.

Now we come back to Acts.

I'm sorry, I'm giving you a workout here, and we come back to Acts, and what is what has Jesus done?

He has assembled the 12 who are represented of Israel, and he has brought in the nations.

And what have all the nations, I mean, this is the supernatural work of God, that it just so happens on Pentecost when all the Jewish people come into Jerusalem where the temple of God is, on that very day, the Spirit of God falls and they all understand exactly what is happening.

Why?

Because God wants to reach the world.

And if you aren't sure that he's gonna do it, here at Pentecost, a supernatural event occurs.

The entire world has come to him, and they are hearing in languages that they can understand the gospel.

Is that interesting?

Don't fall asleep on me.

I mean, I just I love what's what's the reason Jesus doing it?

He's saying, I got this.

I got this.

Listen, I know the missions beyond you.

I know you're afraid to share the gospel, I know that you can't do it in your own strength.

I've got it.

Now, in chapter 11 of Genesis, God commands humanity to fill and multiply the earth.

You remember the Tower of Babel.

They then built a city and a tower to avoid being scattered.

And they said, instead of making a name for God, I am going to make a name for myself.

When God told them to go and fill the earth, they refused to scatter.

They refused to fill the earth.

So then God calls them to live for his name and they do the same.

They seek to make a name for himself.

Then at the Tower of Babel, you remember in Genesis 11, God comes and what does he do?

He scatters the nations and he changes their languages, so they cannot gather to do that again.

Now at Pentecost, thousands of years later, we see the reversal.

Representatives of the nations are gathering together.

Many languages are present.

God has come down, and the Spirit of God has enabled them to see and hear and understand in their own languages.

God's reversing Babel.

God is going to reach the world.

And what happens at Pentecost is that God doesn't erase the languages, He makes the many languages the vehicles for declaring his glory.

And here we are, 2,000 years after Pentecost.

And what do we have?

Many different ethnicities, many people from many different nations and backgrounds who are gathered together in one church.

The Spirit of God is accomplishing the mission of God to gather God's people and verse 11 declare the mighty works of God.

When the Spirit of God falls, it turns the church outward to make known the mighty works of God.

Do you see that?

What does the church do?

They see this amazing vision of who the Lord is.

The Spirit falls, they see God, and they being so amazed by the mighty works, they turn around and speak.

Loved ones, that is what evangelism is.

Evangelism is being so filled up with the amazing work that Jesus is doing that you cannot help but to overflow and tell other people about it.

You know, this past week we launched our small group, and it was the first time that I was in the small group, and an intense debate broke out in our small group.

Can I tell you about it?

It probably has happened in the history of most small groups.

We were having this debate, it was causing division.

It was all about what the best flavor of ice cream is.

And in that conversation, many people were talking about coarthodairy.

We got any coarthodairy fans in here?

Okay, if you go after church, use code Pastor Miles, because no, I'm just kidding.

There's a big debate.

Well, I mean, uh I love Kawartha Dairy, Moose Tracks.

Moose Tracks is clearly that's that's what some people were saying.

And there I got there's some moose tracks people in here.

Other people were saying, oh Muskoka Mocha, and I think some of the not everybody has tried Tragically Chip yet.

Have you tried Tragically Chip?

It is the best.

It's the best.

We got some supporters here, okay?

It's the best.

There's this intense debate breaking out about which ice cream flavor is the best.

All everyone agrees Kawartha Dairy is the best ice cream.

I find it fascinating that in that room, Kawartha Dairy wasn't emailing anyone saying, hey, listen, I need you to propagate the greatness and glory of Kawartha Dairy at your small group, okay?

None of those people had any training sessions from Kawartha Dairy.

Listen, here's the flavors you're gonna want to talk about when you talk about our greatness.

What had happened?

They had tasted and seen the goodness of Kawartha Dairy, and they could not help but to declare it.

And loved ones, what happens here is very similar.

They had tasted and seen the glory of God, they had seen the mighty work of God, they had seen the risen Jesus working, and they had something to say.

It filled them with a message.

The message was what Jesus had done.

Notice then the response.

They're declaring the mighty works of God, and we're told what they declare, it's the mighty works of God.

Next week we'll hear Peter's sermon, and it is Christ, Christ, Christ.

And we're even told the response that we'll receive when we uh declare it.

Verse 12, they were amazed and they were perplexed and saying to one another, What does this mean?

But others were mocking.

You know, our spirit-empowered witness does not guarantee an immediate result.

Instead, our responsibility is to faithfully declare God's mighty works.

We can't control the result.

Some will be curious, some will resist, some will long to hear what the church speaks.

What God makes clear is that if the Spirit of God falls among us, we will speak.

He will illuminate the mighty works that He has done so that we might declare the hope that we have in Jesus Christ to the nations.

That we might declare that there is one who can satisfy.

There is one name worthy of magnification.

It is the name of Jesus Christ.

Of when God has made himself known, he dwells among us by his spirit.

And he intends to make himself known through us.

And I think it's fascinating that we hit this text on a Sunday like this, on the very last Sunday that we'll be in this building, and in many ways we go to a new location, a new neighborhood, and we go with this mission that the Spirit has given us to go and speak.

Next Sunday, this room will be here.

Redemption will gather elsewhere.

The address changes, the calling does not.

Loved ones, wherever the risen Christ has put people in our paths, may we open our mouths and say, in a thousand ordinary ways, would you look at what Jesus has done?

Would you see why Jesus is glorious?

Jesus has given us his spirit, and he is making us a people through whom God makes himself known.

Let's pray together.

Father, we praise you for what you are doing through the risen Christ.

Lord, you are reaching the world.

And you are not doing it by our power.

You will never do it by our ingenious.

You can only do it by the power of the Holy Spirit.

And so, God, we depend on you.

And we ask you to accomplish in this church what you have already proven you are able to accomplish.

Lord, would you help us to declare the mighty works of God and all that you have accomplished in Jesus Christ to our family, to our neighbors, to our co-to everyone who would hear the amazing thing that you have done in our lives by saving us through Jesus Christ, we thank you.

Lord, we sing now as a prayer to you, asking that you would magnify the name of your son in our midst.

We pray this in the name of your son.

Amen.