THE COMING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT: Acts 2:1-4
(Scriptures are from the God's Word translation)
Pentecost Sunday is the day we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the Apostles & in the life of the Church.
• But what we need to remember is that it didn’t just happen!
• There were both factors involved in His coming ~ and specific results of His coming!
We also need to remember that the Holy Spirit is still to be active in the life of the Church today and its members.
• So what is it we need to see about the coming of the Holy Spirit?
I). First, the Holy Spirit came after both invitation and preparation by the Church:
A). We need to realize that the disciples and followers of Jesus were the original Church.
• They are two words in the Bible which we translate as ‘church’:
• The first is “ekklesia”, which is the Greek words “kaleo” (to call), with the prefix “ek” (out). Thus, the word means "the called out ones."
• The second is “kuriakon”, which means "dedicated to the Lord."
B). Jesus orders His followers, in Acts 1:4-5 “…not to leave Jerusalem but to wait there for what the Father had promised. Jesus said to them, "I've told you what the Father promises. John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."
• Acts 1 continues by telling us that they, “…went to the second-story room where they were staying. The apostles had a single purpose as they devoted themselves to prayer.” (vv. 13-14)
• So we see around 120 believers praying ~ for what? I believe that they inviting the Holy Spirit to come!
C). Jesus told us that the Holy Spirit comes by invitation:
• Luke 11:13, “Even though you're evil, you know how to give good gifts to your children. So how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?"
• So the Holy Spirit comes by ASKING! By INVITATION.
D). But the Holy Spirit comes by PREPARATION:
• What preparation other than picking a new disciples to take the place of Judas Iscariot?
• Acts 1:14 gives us a great clue: “The apostles had a single purpose as they devoted themselves to prayer.”
• John Gill writes that they prayed “For the promise of the Spirit Christ had given them reason to expect; and that they might be preserved from their enemies, and kept faithful to their Lord; and be abundantly qualified for the preaching of the Gospel, and succeeded in it; and that their hearts might be comforted, and knit together in love: and they were unanimous in their requests.”
II). Those are the factors involved in His coming ~ what are the results of it?
A). “Suddenly, a sound like a violently blowing wind came from the sky and filled the whole house where they were staying.” (2:2)
• What does a mighty rushing wind do? Spiritually it blows away the excess!
• I’m sure that there are some excess things in our lives that need to be blown away.
• Things that we allow to come between us and complete service to God! (selfishness, bitterness, unforgiveness, material things, etc.,)
B). “Tongues that looked like fire appeared to them. The tongues arranged themselves so that one came to rest on each believer.” (2:3)
• One of the great things that fire does is that it cleanses.
• I’m sure that some of the disciples had some impurities that needed to be burned out of their lives (quest for power like James & John seemed to have, Peter’s pride, the fear that they all seemed to have after Jesus’ crucifixion)
• I’m sure that we have some of those impurities ourselves that keep the Holy Spirit from working a complete work in our lives.
C). “All the believers were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit gave them the ability to speak.” (2:4)
• I think that too often we put the wrong emphasis on this verse.
• The Holy Spirit DID come and give them the ability to speak in other languages, BUT WHY???
• Yes, He gave them a new language, but the important thing is that He gave them a new message!
• There were two commands that Jesus gave them before His ascension:
o In Matthew 28:19,20 He told them (and us), “wherever you go, make disciples of all nations: Baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Teach them to do everything I have commanded you.”
o And in Acts 1:8, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes to you. Then you will be my witnesses to testify about me in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
• These were new messages for the disciples to share:
o He had sent the 12 out before: In Matthew 10 to tell the people what, “The kingdom of Heaven is near” (Matthew 10:7)
o Now He is sending them out to tell people, “The kingdom of Heaven is HERE ~ and it has come through Jesus the Christ!” That’s what it means to be “My witnesses.”
So this evening we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit ~ realizing that for Him to come in His fullness in our lives there must be both and invitation and a preparation.
And we know that when He does come in His fullness that He will come, blowing the excess out of our lives, burning out the impurities that keep us from serving God fully, and giving us the message to spread to everyone that the Kingdom of Heaven is here ~ and it comes in the person of Christ Jesus who gave Himself on the cross for our sins!
