Acts 2:14-41
I’m excited that we finally get to gather together again! I know it’s been a tough few weeks with the weather, but we are super grateful to both New Elam Christian Church, and Bells Baptist Church for allowing us to use their facilities for last minute services. What a blessing to have partnerships with other churches in the area. Speaking of that, Pastor Lucas is over at Bells Baptist this morning filling in for Pastor Michael, so be in prayer for him as he preaches a message on biblical love.
Because there were many who were unable to attend last weekend, I want to make sure we all have an understanding of the beginning of Acts chapter 2. This is the crucial passage upon which the rest of the book hinges. The coming of the Holy Spirit is an incredibly important moment that we all need to understand. So I’m going to give a bit of a lengthier summary before we get into our passage this morning.
Summary of Acts 2:1-13
The Holy Spirit arrived on a day called Pentecost. This is one of the yearly celebrations of Israel, and it took place 50 days after the Passover. The countdown began on the Sunday that Jesus was resurrected, and 50 days from that day is where we find ourselves, on another Sunday.
We see 2 signs that accompanied the coming of the Holy Spirit:
1. Wind. A loud, terrifying sound, with no visible effects. The same word here is the word that was used in the Exodus account when the Lord parted the Red Sea with a “might” wind. Imagine that sound, enough power to separate the sea. This is what they hear. It’s the same wind that we see in Genesis 1:2, when the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. That word for “Spirit” in Hebrew can also mean “wind” or “breath.” We see this also in Genesis 2, when God breathed into the man’s nostrils the breath of life. Take all of this together, a violent might wind, synonymous with the outpouring of the Spirit, synonymous with breath, and we have an amazing picture. I mean the way the Spirit arrived was no accident. The significance is unmistakable. God was breathing life into the church through the Holy Spirit.
2. Fire. When we think of fire, we think of the Old Testament, where God appeared to Moses in a burning bush. We think of the covenant between God and Abraham, where the flaming torch passed through the animal carcasses. We think about the pillar of fire that was set over the tent of meeting. All of these events were visible signs of God’s presence.
We also see the shapes of tongues, human tongues. This represented real human languages that were about to be spoken. What we tend to do with this passage is focus on the gift of tongues, which I think is secondary to what the passage is really about: The presence of God marked by the Spirit of God to set the church ablaze to proclaim the gospel. It’s so incredible that a massive crowd begins to gather. They hear the apostles speaking in dialects that only existed in their home countries. They are amazed. Some are confused. Some even mock. But that section ends with this question: “What does this mean?”
Peter is about to stand up and explain all of it.
Big Idea: The Holy Spirit ignites the Church to proclaim Christ to the world.
Read Acts 2:14-16
Peter, who at this point has become the leader of this young church, stands up, surrounded by the other 11 disciples, and begins to preach. He begins his sermon with a bit of humor, disarming the crowd before he begins. “Come on guys, these people can’t be drunk! It’s only 9:00 in the morning!” Now remember, this sermon is in response to the crowds questioning what in the world is going on. So Peter begins with the Holy Spirit. He brings to mind this prophecy from Joel. What he is essentially saying is that “this is that. What you are experiencing right now is what Joel was talking about!
Read 2:17-21
1. Proof of the Holy Spirit (17-21)
This prophecy is what is known as a double fulfillment or a dual fulfillment. This means that part of the prophecy has already been fulfilled, but there is some that is yet to be fulfilled.
The Last Days is a term that spans the time from Jesus’ first coming, to His second coming at which time He will set up His kingdom. We are currently living in the Last Days. During this time, the Lord will pour out His Spirit on all mankind, Jew and Gentile alike, whoever would believe. And while there is a global implication here, there is also the immediate context of what’s happening in Jerusalem. Joel said that “sons and daughters” would prophesy. This is the Jewish people, the sons and daughters of Israel. The church began with a group of Jewish believers. And when the Holy Spirit was poured out on them, they would prophecy. To prophecy means to proclaim.
“This is that.” What you are all seeing is exactly what Joel was talking about. The Holy Spirit has been poured out, and God’s people are proclaiming the gospel.
Now, we don’t have time to get into the future prophecy of verses 19-20, but look again at verse 21. “Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.” Peter is tying the immediate experience of the crowds to the gospel. And then he just preaches it.
2. Proof of the Messiah (22-36)
Read 2:22-24
I love this. Peter, in these 3 short verses, preaches the incarnation, the death, the burial and the resurrection of Jesus. It’s the gospel in 3 verses. “Jesus, a man that many of you had interaction with, a real life flesh and bones human being, this man that you saw do incredible miracles in your midst, the one that you, collective Jewish people, rejected, had tortured and crucified by the hands of the wicked Roman empire…This Jesus, after he was dead and buried, God raised from the dead, effectively defeating death. This Jesus, who God made covenant with before the foundation of the world, according to the definitive plan of God, lived, died and was raised to life. This Jesus…HE IS THE MESSIAH.
Look at how Peter proves this to them. Read 2:25-28.
Peter takes this Psalm and shifts the Jewish perspective. This was written by David, and while it was a very personal experience that he was writing about, it also carried prophetic elements about Jesus. Read 2:29-31.
This is so amazing. Peter is using the Jewish text that these crowds would have known so well, and he was showing them that they were all pointing to Jesus. David was talking about the resurrection of Jesus. The resurrection of the Messiah. This would become the main emphasis of most of the sermons throughout the book of Acts. At least 13 times we see the resurrection being preached by Paul, Peter and other apostles.
Let’s continue in our passage this morning. “You remember Jesus? The hero of Israel, King David himself revealed to us that death would not hold Him.” And verse 32, “THIS JESUS. God raised up.” Verse 33, “He was exalted to the right hand of God, and He has given us the gift of the Holy Spirit.” This is that.
Read 2:34-36
Here it is, the climax of the entire message. Peter ties it all together. This Jesus, who you rejected and had crucified, but who God raised from the dead, this Jesus is the Christ. He is the Messiah.
3. Proof of Gospel Transformation (37-41)
Read vs. 37a
Can you imagine? A month before this, these same people were crying out for Jesus to be crucified. And now, they are faced with the reality of who Jesus is. The miracle of the languages propelled by the Holy Spirit. The Old Testament prophecies proved to talk about Jesus. The Holy Spirit causes the scales of their eyes to fall and they see, for the first time, the truth of the gospel. And they are cut to the heart. All at once, like a dagger, reality hits them. “We had the Messiah killed…But…He’s alive, seated at the right hand of God in heaven.”
Verse 37b: “Brothers, what should we do?!” I have to believe there is a sense of desperation in their question. Read vs. 38-40.
We don’t have Peter’s sermon in its entirety, but we have enough. I mean what a message. And what a response! Read vs. 41. Now I don’t know if all 120 were baptizing the 3,000, or if it was just the 12, but either way, that’s an incredible amount of baptisms to happen. The Holy Spirit had arrived. The Church exploded onto the scene.
Application
The Church that we see forming here in Acts 2 is the same Church of which we are a part. All who profess Jesus as Savior and Lord brought into the family of God, united by the Holy Spirit. We are all one.
Big Idea: The Holy Spirit ignites the Church to proclaim Christ to the world.
1. Complete dependence on the Holy Spirit
2. Preach Christ
3. Let the Holy Spirit do the rest
