Pentecost
NB. Sermon recorded at the Arts Centre Fatfield Durham 31 May 1998
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1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[a] as the Spirit enabled them.
5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,[b] 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”
13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”
Peter Addresses the Crowd
14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17 “‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. ...
21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’
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Witness
Setting the Scene
I nearly had a disaster last week. I have this pampas grass in our garden and I phoned a friend and asked - how do you get rid of this Pampas Grass. He said - “Just set a light to it.”
That is exactly what I did, first I struck a match, then a spark became a small flame, then the wind got hold of it and WOSH.
The Pampas grass became an inferno, it drew a crowd, and the neighbours came by asking if they should phone the fire brigade.
Finally, we got buckets and buckets of water and doused the beast until it submitted into a smouldering mound of charred pampas. Our story today is about wind, a blaze of fire, and a crowd!’
By the way, I wish you could see that pampas grass today, from the ashes, there are tiny green shoots poking through.
”Refiner’s fire, my hearts one desire, is to be Holy, set apart for you.”
Background
As we come to the story in Acts 2 it says “they were all together”
Acts.1:13 tells us who was present; the disciples and the women and Mary Jesus’ mother and Jesus’ brothers.
It’s 50 days since His Resurrection, and they have been told to ‘Go and wait.’ They have stuck together, praying, singing, and breaking bread. WAITING for the ‘power from on high’ (Luke 24:49).
But there’s another side to it, they were not sure what they were waiting for. At this stage they did not understand their mission nor the idea of ‘the Kingdom’, they were probably still fearful having witnessed what happened to Jesus. Crowds that could turn on Jesus to condemn and crucify him could just as easily turn on his followers.
At Pentecost, Jerusalem would have been a mass with crowds celebrating Pentecost -Jewish style.
So this gathering of Jewish Christians that morning was to be understood on two levels 1, they were WAITING and 2 -Lying Low.
Let us ask ourselves, what was Pentecost to the Jews?
The Passover was about the Exodus and the killing of a lamb without blemish to save the Jews from the last plague.
Pentecost was 50 days later and it was said to commemorate the giving of the Law (10 Commandments) on Mount Sinai.
That was what the Jews were there to celebrate. This was a BIG holiday.
Now, jump from the Old Testament to the New Testament. 50 days after Jesus, the lamb of God was crucified and arose from the dead, God chose to send the power of the Spirit (in contrast to the Law).
Does this seem like a coincidence to you?
Absolutely not!
This is the Sovereign God at Pentecost entering time from eternity with pinpoint accuracy 50 days after the resurrection
When crowds of Jews are in Jerusalem to commemorate the Law - THE SPIRIT COMES.
This is God saying the Law has had its day this is the new day the time of the Holy SPIRIT.
The Experience
When the Spirit came they heard a sound like a violent wind (something big is happening) their expectations are rising, this is not a natural wind, this is supernatural (from heaven).
Then they saw what seemed like (supernatural again) ‘tongues of fire’ (1st as a flame which divided & rested on each, this is not s/thing from within (it’s from beyond) (halo on ancient paintings =kids bible pictures). They’d seen before, seen + risen, now they were to EXPERIENCE its POWER, v4 All of them were filled with HS (the experience) (not full in the sense of full after a meal) >>>>
(*it is more like filling of a cup). There is an experience of filling, it was so powerful they couldn’t help but let go and let God do whatever he wanted, let go of their fears, let go of their pride - the experience of filing was so powerful that it poured over into expression [v4] they began to speak - stop the action here and think - they had no idea what going to happen, the experience of filling was so powerful that they just burst into {tongues}. They has no idea what they were saying, they were just expressing the filling of the Holy Spirit, they spoke out such was ’power of the spirit.
Such was the commotion they drew a crowd (countries far & wide v 9/10) v12 says ‘utterly amazed and perplexed.’ They were confused, someone from Asia here for the festival, heard a Galilean unshaven unwashed fisherman speak about Yahweh in their own language!
It’s a common sight today to see on GodTV pictures of some Charismatic meeting - people lost in praise and the cameras are ‘making fun of them’ v13 makes good TV (peculiar people) but the TV can’t pick up the power of the Holy Spirit that brought out that expression, like Acts 2 v13 (In fact they said they were drunk). I’m just as guilty myself, if someone in a church service raises their hands or expressing their praise some other way [I am watching but not letting go myself - I hold fact to my hymn book]
The challenge today is this if you’re like me [hugging your hymn book] make it your business today to say to God - whatever you want to give me - I want it - I want to let go, I want to be free to express your filling of the Spirit, Teach me Holy Spirit to abandon my fears, myself, my pride - speak out, dance, whatever expression the Spirit leads you into I urge you to let go, let the power of the Spirit pour over you today into expression.
God’sPower in us
If ever there was a demonstration of what God’s power does in us, then Peter is that demonstration.
Here is what God’s power does; Peter - who denied the Lord three times, was one of those who let go and spoke in tongues.
Acts 2:14 says Peter stood up and raised his voice - this time not to deny the Lord. It was 9 am in the morning and Peter (a Jew) was not afraid, to stand up and explain to Jews, at a Jewish festival that their Jewish messiah had come, had been crucified and had risen from the dead, He returned to glory and what they were witnessing was the outpouring of the Holy Spirit as spoken of by the prophet Joel (prophesied 800BC i.e. pre-exilic).
If ever we needed an answer to what God’s power does in us, look at Peter after he spoke. It says in Acts 2 that three thousand people turned to follow Christ on that day.
Do we want that? We have to be prepared to let go and abandon yourself to the filling and the expression of that filling.
What can stop you? Fear, unbelief, sin, works.
Come Holy Spirit
