“BACKDRAFT”
Acts 2:1-13
I Intro
A) Revisit Fire Triangle (See notes from “Don’t burnout…Just burn”)
B) Example of Backdraft
1) Fire consumes oxygen
a) Heat and fuel present but no Oxygen
2) Backdraft happens when Oxygen is re-introduced into the Heat and Fuel mixture (Unfortunately this usually happens when a well minding neighbor kicks open a door or breaks out a window)
3) Explosive … New life to the fire
II Today’s Text: Acts 2: 1-13
A) Recap
1) Believers have been praying
2) Election of Mathias
3) Waiting for the gift of the Spirit that Jesus promised.
B) Today we will look at how the Spirit came / Its significance to the early believers / and its significance for us today.
C) Pentecost one of three feasts celebrated by the Jewish people
1) Passover / Pentecost / and the Feast of Tabernacles
2) Pentecost was 50 days after the Passover Sabbath
a) Perspective: Passover / Pentecost like Thanksgiving and Christmas
D) Pentecost was a Holy Day
1) At the temple
2) Others at the temple
a) from other lands and languages
3) Some amazed by what happened
4) Some Ridiculed Believers
III On the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit….
A) Interrupted the “regularly scheduled program”
B) Gave evidence that the Believers were legitimate
1) Spirit descended like a dove at Jesus’ Baptism (This is my Son…)
2) Came as the sound of wind and tongues of Fire on the believers (These are my children…)
C) Got the attention of others
D) Opened Communication
1) Miracle of communication
2) Not so much a need to communicate but to show that Nothing is impossible with God
3) Disciples speaking other know languages when they hadn’t been trained to do so.
E) Equipped the Believers
1) Not Just tongues but other gifts as well
2) Next week we will look at the gifts given to Peter
F) Provided Life / Power / and Completion
1) Backdraft brings new life to a struggling fire
a) Not good in the fire service! Explosions happen! every attempt made to prevent it
2) Christian Backdraft Brings New life to the struggling Soul
a) Highly Desirable
b) Giftedness
c) Key to success
d) Assurance in the face of Persecution
IV) What are you in need of today? Does God’s Holy Spirit have the invitation to flow into and through your life?
A) Fire doesn’t thrive without oxygen and the Christian life does not thrive without the Holy Spirit!
B) Heat and Fuel can be present but without Oxygen the fire goes nowhere
C) Action, Bible study, prayer, going to church, etc., can all be present, but without the Holy Spirit they are ineffective.
ILLUSTRATION: John Wesley had two different experiences as a minister. As a minister of the Church of England, his ministry was fruitless. He wrote in his journal how discouraged he was that even though he was “weary in the work” he saw no fruit in his labor. After his conversion experience, he became a minister of Jesus Christ. His journal is full of the joy of fruitful work. He is careful to give all the credit to the work of the Holy Spirit.
V) ACTION STEPS
A) Identify the Barriers
1) Ask what you are doing, if anything, to prevent or limit the work of the Holy Spirit in your life.
2) Firefighters don’t like backdraft! They work hard to prevent it, stop it, and keep it from happening.
3) Unfortunately, we sometimes do the same with the Holy Spirit.
4) Many ways we do this (Customize for your specific situation)
B) Remove the barriers
1) Daytona 500 is just around the corner
a) Restricter plate race
b) When you limit the amount of air coming into the engine you drastically reduce the horsepower of the engine
2) After you know your personal barriers that are limiting the Holy Spirit in your life, Ask God for the strength to remove those barriers and allow the Spirit to flow more freely in your life.
C) Don’t squelch the Spirit working in others
1) Some made fun of the believers… they said they were drunk
2) Allow yourself to be amazed by the miracle!
D) Finally. What do you need today?
Healing in a relationship
Sense of purpose
Assurance in the face of persecution and ridicule
Strength to trust God more
You fill in the blank
E) Remember: Just as Backdraft revitalizes a fire, the Holy Spirit of God wants to revitalize your life, your relationships, your self worth, your sense of purpose, your… you fill in the blank.
