2023.05.28 Sermon. Pentecost. Part 2 of 2
William Akehurst, HSWC
Scriptures: Acts 1:4-8; Acts 2:1-39; Joel 2:28-32; John 14:26-28; John 16:13; 1 John 2:27; Romans 8:16; 1 Corinthians 2:9-16
BIG IDEA: Pentecost Sunday, the day JESUS promised the baptism of the HOLY SPIRIT to those who believed. HE had to leave so that HE could come to us, to make us SPIRIT FILLED believers, so that one day HE would return to take us in that same way. Question is, are you Ready?
Shavout (the Hebrew word for Pentecost).
Shavuot is identified with the day that God gave Israel the Torah.
As believers in Yeshua-Jesus, this day is identified with the day FATHER GOD gave us HIS HOLY SPIRIT to live inside us - so that we can always be in fellowship with HIM. Even in the very most center of our beings.
Acts 1:4,5,8 THE HOLY SPIRIT PROMISED
4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
PENTECOST – PROMISE KEPT
Acts 2:1-24 Pentecost
1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
The Crowd’s Response
5 And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. 6 And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. 7 Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born?
11—we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.” 12 So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “Whatever could this mean?”
13 Others mocking said, “They are full of new wine.”
14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. 15 For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day.
16 But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: (See Joel 2:28-32)
17 ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams.
18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy.
19 I will show wonders in heaven above And signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke.
20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD.
21 And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.’
22“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know— 23 Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; 24 whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.
Joel 2:28-32
28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.
32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.
Acts 2:32-39
32 This Jesus, God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses.
33 Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.
36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”
38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”
I AM GOING AWAY AND COMING BACK TO YOU
John 14:26-28. 26 But the Helper (Counselor), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. 28 You have heard Me say to you, ‘I am going away and coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I.
RUACH HAKODESH (The HOLY SPIRIT)
• A Mighty Rushing Wind
• The Breath of GOD
o Adam was given life by the breath of GOD
• Believers are given LIFE ETERNAL by the Breath and Indwelling of the HOLY SPIRIT, the RUACH HAKODESH, The BREATH of GOD!
SPIRIT OF TRUTH GUIDES IN ALL TRUTH
John 16:13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
HOLY SPIRIT ANOINTING TEACHES
1 John 2:27 But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.
SPIRIT IN US DECLARES WE ARE GOD’s CHILDREN
Romans 8:16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
GOD REVEALS HIS WORD, PROPHECY and KINGDOM BY HOLY SPIRIT IN US.
SPIRIT REVEALS WHAT GOD HAS PREPARED
SPIRIT SEARCHES AND KNOWS THE DEEP THINGS OF GOD
SPIRIT TEACHES US OF SPIRITUAL THINGS
SPIRIT GIVES US THE MIND OF CHRIST – HOW TO THINK, ACT, LIVE, IN HIS PRESENCE
1 Corinthians 2:9-16
9 But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.
13 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. 16 For “who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man, the things which GOD has prepared for those who love HIM.
As the song goes…”I can only imagine”.
But one day, I will see HIM as HE is, and it will all be worth it!
Because of what happened some 2000 years ago, the church age began by the Indwelling of the Holy Spirit to every believer. We are in that Church Age, and this age must "come to pass". Time is running out. The message of JESUS must be proclaimed to everyone we meet. No one left behind.
FATHER, we give praise for relentless love and mercy toward us. We ask for boldness by the Power of YOUR SPIRIT in us, to share CHRIST with everyone. Fan the flames and fire within us, and prepare our hearts, minds, and spirits with an urgency for those around us. In JESUS Name, Amen.
Be blessed and Be a Blessing,
Bill
