Opening illustration: During our ministry in the Middle-East at one of the underground churches a gentleman used to walk around 5 miles to attend that worship and fellowship. He had a lowly job at a remote construction site in the wilderness and could not afford to buy a conveyance for himself. He did not know any other languages other than his mother tongue and the local language of the country. Whenever he used to attend the meeting, it would be a powerful time for all of us. I believe, more than him, we would be blessed. He brought with him the right Spirit, his heart was in the right place and carried no guile or guilt upon his life. Whenever he would praise or pray, it would be in English which was foreign to him; apparently he had no clue or idea about. He did not know a word of English. After the worship service, we would spend time fellowshipping and I would communicate with him only in the local language as that was our common ground. What was happening there? Because there was no human intervention, I could sense and comprehend that it could only be the wonderful work of God.
Introduction: The word “Pentecost” is a Greek word signifying the 50th part of a thing, or the 50th in order. Among the Jews it was applied to one of their three great feasts which began on the 50th day after the Passover. That is, 49 days, to the feast called the Feast of Pentecost, so that it occurred 50 days after the first day of the Feast of the Passover. This feast was also called the Feast of Weeks, from the circumstance that it followed a succession of weeks. It was also a harvest festival, and was accordingly called the Feast of Harvest; and it was for this reason that two loaves made of new meal were offered on this occasion as first-fruits.
There is a correspondence between the giving of the law, which is celebrated by this feast of Pentecost, together with the crucifixion of our Lord, which took place at the Passover, and this descent of the Holy Spirit, which happened at this Pentecost.
1. At the Passover, the Israelites were delivered from Egyptian bondage: this was a type of the thralldom in which the human race was to Satan and sin.
2. At the Passover Jesus Christ, who was typified by the paschal lamb, was sacrificed for the sin of the world, and by this sacrifice redemption from sin and Satan is now procured and proclaimed.
3. On the Pentecost, God gave his law on Mount Sinai, accompanied with thundering and lightnings. On the Pentecost, God sent down his Holy Spirit, like a rushing mighty wind; and tongues of fire sat upon each disciple, in order that, by his influence, that new law of light and life might be promulgated and established. Thus, the analogy between the Egyptian bondage and the thralldom occasioned by sin - the deliverance from Egypt, and the redemption from sin - the giving of the law, with all its emblematic accompaniments, and the sending down the Holy Spirit, with its symbols of light, life, and power, has been exactly preserved.
4. At the Jewish Passover, Christ was degraded, humbled, and ignominiously put to death: at the following festival, the Pentecost, he was highly glorified; and the all conquering and ever during might of his kingdom then commenced. The Holy Spirit seems to have designed all these analogies, to show that, through all preceding ages, God had the dispensation of the Gospel continually in view; and that the old law and its ordinances were only designed as preparative’s for the new.
1. What will it take to be empowered with the Holy Spirit?
Answer: Unity in the ‘Body of Christ’ (v. 1)
We cannot forget how often, while their Master was with them there were strife’s among the disciples who should be the greatest; but now all these strife’s were at an end. They had prayed more together of late. Would we have the Spirit poured out upon us from on high, let us be all of one accord. And notwithstanding differences of sentiments and interests, as there were among those disciples, let us agree to love one another; for where brethren dwell together in unity, there the Lord commands his blessing.
How can the ‘Body of Christ’ function effectively and the ‘Holy Spirit’ work in and through her when everyone with the BOC is not one in the Spirit, mind, heart and thought? Apparently they are all NOT on the same page!
It is God’s purpose for all believers to "attain to the unity of the faith." With many Christians, and especially with evangelicals, there has been a tendency to confuse faith and doctrine. We need to recognize those who are truly accepted by the Lord. Faith is not doctrine, but obedience to the Lord. It is through faith that we are saved. The Protestants, Orthodox, Catholics and their denominational break-downs are not on the same page in any way or form? How do we expect God to work when we are not doing our part of the deal for the Holy Spirit to work in and through us effectively? In Ephesians Paul said the body of Christ should strive for unity in the faith, i.e. faith denoting doctrinal understanding, and unity in the knowledge of the Son of God, i.e. unity in the knowledge of salvation through Jesus, i.e. the gospel of Christ.
In 2 Corinthians 6: 14 Paul warns the Corinthian Christians about being unequally yoked with those he calls απιστοις. This word describes those not worthy of confidence, untrustworthy, and unbelievers. What makes a person “not worthy of confidence?” If a person is like a Chameleon in their theology being whatever it takes to be pleasing to one group and something totally different for the next group, then how can that person be trustworthy? Paul makes it clear in that passage that this is a mark of an unbeliever.
Psalm 133: 1 says, “Behold, how good … For brethren to dwell together in unity!”
Ephesians 2: 19 – 22 says, “Now, therefore … a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”
Ephesians 4: 14 – 16 says, “That we should no longer … edifying of itself in love.”
Romans 16: 17, 18 says, “Now I urge you, brethren … deceive the hearts of the simple.
2 Corinthians 6: 14 says, “Do not be unequally yoked … communion has light with darkness?”
1 Timothy 6: 3 – 5 says, “If anyone teaches otherwise … From such withdraw yourself.”
2. What are the symbols of the Holy Spirit?
Answer: (vs. 2 - 3)
• oil (Joh_3:34); (Heb_1:9)
• water (Joh_7:38); (Joh_7:39)
• wind (Act_2:2); (Joh_3:8)
• fire (Act_2:3)
• a dove (Mat_3:16)
• a seal (Eph_1:13); (Eph_4:30)
• guarantee of our Inheritance (Eph_1:14)
A rushing mighty wind came with great force. This was to signify the powerful influences and working of the Spirit of God upon the minds of men, and thereby upon the world. Thus the convictions of the Spirit make way for his comforts; and the rough blasts of that blessed wind, prepare the soul for its soft and gentle gales. There is a good deal of similarity between this account and that of the appearance of God to Elijah, where the strong wind, the earthquake, and the fire, were harbingers of the Almighty’s presence, and prepared the heart of Elijah to hear the small still voice; so, this sound, and the mighty rushing wind, prepared the apostles to receive the influences and gifts of the Holy Spirit. In both cases, the sound, strong wind, and fire, although natural agents, were supernaturally employed. There was an appearance of something like flaming fire, lighting on every one of them, according to John Baptist’s saying concerning Christ; He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire. The Spirit, like fire, melts the heart, burns up the dross, and kindles pious and devout affections in the soul; in which, as in the fire on the altar, the spiritual sacrifices are offered up. They were all filled with the Holy Ghost, more than before. They were filled with the graces of the Spirit, and more than ever under his sanctifying influences; more weaned from this world, and better acquainted with the other. They were more filled with the comforts of the Spirit, rejoiced more than ever in the love of Christ and the hope of heaven: in it all their grief’s and fears were swallowed up. They were filled with the gifts of the Holy Ghost; they had miraculous powers for the furtherance of the gospel. They spoke, not from previous thought or meditation, but as the Spirit gave them utterance.
3. How was the Holy Spirit manifested in the 1st century church?
Answer: Speaking in unlearned languages which people from other nations could understand. (v. 4)
The tongues were the emblem of the languages they were to speak. The cloven tongues pointed out the diversity of those languages; and the fire seemed to intimate that the whole would be a spiritual gift, and be the means of bringing light and life to the souls who should hear them preach the everlasting Gospel in those languages.
As this day, the day of the founding of the church, was to be a day of signs and wonders, the shedding forth of the Spirit was made perceptible to all. The sound was heard, the tongues of fire were seen, and the word was spoken in many languages.
From God’s Word let us throw some light on this remarkable occurrence:
(A) It was predicted in the Old Testament that what is here stated would occur in the times of the Messiah. Thus, in Isaiah_28: 11, “With ...another tongue will he speak unto this people.” Compare 1 Corinthians_14: 21 where this passage is expressly applied to the power of speaking foreign languages under the gospel.
(B) It was promised by the Lord Jesus that they should have this power, Mark_16: 17, “These signs shall follow them that believe ...they shall speak with new tongues.”
(C) The ability to do it existed extensively and long in the church, 1 Corinthians_12: 10-11, “To another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: all these work that one and the self-same Spirit”; Act_2: 28, “God hath set in the church ...diversities of tongues.” From this it appears that the power was well known in the church, and was not confined to the apostles. This also may show that in the case in the Acts, the ability to do this was conferred on other members of the church as well as the apostles.
(D) That from this we see the necessity now of training people who are to be missionaries to other lands. The apostles, by that miracle, simply were empowered to speak other languages. That power must still be had if the gospel is to be preached.
4. How did the unbelievers react?
Answer: (vs. 6 – 7, 11)
• Confused ~ because everyone heard them speak in his own language
• Amazed & Marveled ~ they were ignorant, rude, and uncivilized; naturally ignorant of these languages which they now speak so fluently and neither were they learned men to study and grasp the languages overnight
• Work of God ~ not the works of creation and providence, though these are great and wonderful; but of redemption, pardon, atonement, justification, and salvation, by the Messiah, by his obedience, sufferings, and death, and also of his resurrection from the dead; things which struck them with amazement, and the more, that such illiterate persons should have such knowledge of them, and should be able to speak of them in such a clear, distinct, and powerful manner; and still the more, that they should speak of them in their several tongues in which they were born, and to which they were used, and which the apostles had never learned: and this they heard with their own ears, and were fully satisfied that they did speak divers languages
Application:
• Pursue to build and have ‘unity in the body of Christ’ for the Holy Spirit to be work in and through our lives effectively having a profound impact on the lives of others around us.
• Be open and free to let the Holy Spirit be manifested in and through us by the operation of the ‘Gifts of the Holy Spirit.’
• Do not be troubled or anxious about what people think or may think about you. That is immaterial. But be more concerned about what God thinks about you. That is most important.
