When the Holy Spirit Comes
Acts 2
4th June 2021
Last time, we thought about the week-long prayer meeting that preceded the coming of the Holy Spirit on the church for the first time, at Pentecost in 30 AD. Those 120 believers, whom Luke calls "brothers" waited for God to send His power upon them. I'm sure that, during that time, God was working on their attitudes and their understanding, to make them ready for what He was about to do.
When God judged that the 120 were ready:
Acts 2v2-3
suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it
filled the entire house where they were sitting.
They saw what seemed tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each
one of them.
The anointing of the Holy Spirit came to every one of the people who'd been faithfully praying. They experienced what we call "the baptism in the Holy Spirit". The mission to save the world had begun. God's first step was to empower His church for that mission.
The first spiritual power they received was the ability to speak in tongues – to use languages that they hadn't learnt. Please don't despise speaking in tongues. It's a gift from God. It's the first spiritual gift the church received, and it's often the first spiritual gift a Christian receives. Through this gift, God demonstrated His sovereignty and power to a crowd of people from all over the known world.
When God had used this demonstration of His power to get the crowd's attention, Peter stood before them and preached. He didn't preach in his own wisdom. He preached under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, freshly given. Peter explained that what was happening that day was the beginning of the fulfilment of the words of the ancient prophet Joel:
Acts 2v17-18
"In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your
sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, and your
old men will dream dreams.
Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those
days, and they will prophesy."
This tells us three things:
Firstly: Speaking in tongues and other spiritual gifts are from God. They're part of His plan. The crowd that day might have been sceptical about spiritual gifts. Some Christians today might be nervous about them. But they're gifts from God, and should be received gladly and used faithfully. As Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 14:26, "When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church."
Secondly: the last days were with us in 30 AD. Some Christians speculate about when "the last days" might begin. They’re completely wasting their time. The last days began 2,000 years ago. Let me quote no less an authority than John Stott, who says in his commentary: "It is the unanimous conviction of the New Testament authors that Jesus inaugurated the last days or Messianic age, and that the final proof of this was the outpouring of the Spirit… we must be careful not to re-quote Joel's prophecy as if we were still awaiting its fulfilment, or even as if its fulfilment has been only partial… this is not how Peter interpreted the text."
Thirdly: Spiritual gifts are for all God's people.
Now I know that some of us speak in tongues and some of us don't, some of us prophesy and some of us don't, and so on. I know that those of us who don't use any of the gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12 can feel a bit judged by those who do. But I believe that that doesn't happen in my church, and I hope it doesn't in yours.
If you've been given spiritual gifts, use them. If you haven't or, at least, if it seems you haven't, ask God for them. And let's always agree not to judge each other. And let's acknowledge that some very fine Christians don't speak in tongues, and some rather sinful ones do.
Spiritual gifts are not long service awards or medals. They're not only for the especially good Christians. They're for us all. They're not an endorsement of some Christians. Their absence is not a criticism of other Christians. It's just that God treats us as individuals. You and I receive gifts from God – not just spiritual gifts, but all grace – at different times, in different ways. God knows what He's doing, He loves us all, and He has no favourites.
God gifted Peter with powerful preaching:
Acts 2v37-38
When the people heard this [Peter's sermon], they were cut to the heart, and
said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?"
Peter replied: "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus
Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the
Holy Spirit."
They did repent. They were forgiven their wrongdoing. They were saved. They were baptised in water and in the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2v41
Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were
added to their number that day.
The church began to grow, by the power of the Holy Spirit. It's been growing ever since. Billions of people now willingly confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
These 120 men and women, who prayed together for a week, or perhaps for 10 days, were ordinary people, like fishermen and tax collectors, like us. They weren't particularly clever, or wealthy, or educated. They didn't have powerful friends. But they loved God, they followed Jesus, and they really wanted the power of the Holy Spirit. And they were willing to pray together until He came in revival power.
The promise remains the same:
Acts 2v39
"The promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off,
everyone whom the Lord our God will call."
The people around us are just like that crowd in Jerusalem in 30 AD. God is calling some of them to Himself. If we will wait on God, if we will receive the Holy Spirit and respond to His prompting, them God will demonstrate His reality, His power and His love to them, and they will be added to our number. Without the Holy Spirit, we can achieve nothing. Through the work of the Holy Spirit in us men, women and children will find the kingdom of God.
I'm not saying that if your church or mine were to all pray for a week, then 3,000 people would be saved the next day. I am saying that without the Holy Spirit we can do nothing of any spiritual value, but if we will pray together, in unity, and if we will persevere in prayer, then the Holy Spirit will come. If we will welcome the Holy Spirit, and allow Him to change us, and to work though us, then things will happen, the lost will be saved, and our part of God's mission to the world will be accomplished.