May 23 2021 – Sermon Notes
Scripture: Acts 2:17-21
What was/is Pentecost?
Pentecost was a yearly celebration that occurred 50 days after Passover – this was a time when the Jewish people came together to celebrate and remember when Moses’ ascended Mount Sinai and received the Law from God.
But on this particular year, as it is recorded in Acts 2, God was doing a NEW THING. Just as God had done a new thing that Passover — when Jesus; God incarnate, became the sacrificial Lamb, the perfect Lamb slain once and for all — so God was about to do a new thing at Pentecost.
God was about to send the promised Holy Spirit, and this would be the moment when the Church was birthed.
LAST DAYS — ALL PEOPLE — BE SAVED
Point #1. The filling of the Holy Spirit is for the LAST DAYS.
Peter, in this moment is quoting the Prophet Joel – he does this because it is clear to him that what they are experiencing is the fulfillment of this prophecy – the Spirit is being poured out. This pouring out would occur in the LAST DAYS.
Matt 24 and 25 Jesus taught his disciples, and he teaches us today, to be alert, to be filled with the Spirit, and to be living lives that are faithful to God.
Matthew 24:42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come… So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect.”
They didn’t know the exact day Jesus would return, it wasn’t for them to know, but they were encouraged to recognize the seasons, read the signs and this is precisely what they did—and it fuelled their conviction and propelled their mission.
If the disciples operated with the urgency and conviction that time was short some 2000 years ago, how much more so should we.
Point #2. The filling of the Holy Spirit is for ALL PEOPLE.
ALL in the Greek is “PAS”, and what it means is…. ALL. As in everyone, without distinction. Every man, woman, old, young, rich, poor, educated, uneducated, Jew, gentile, every nation, EVERY ONE. The Holy Spirit is for YOU!!!
Galatians 3:28 “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor few, now is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
WHY? Because ALL PEOPLE NEED TO BE REACHED WITH THE GOSPEL – you can reach people that I can’t, you have a circle of influence that I will never have. God has a mission for you.
Point #3. The filling of the Holy Spirit is for all people to BE SAVED.
The Spirit of God whom Jesus promised would come is referred as the COUNSELLOR, the COMFORTER, the ADVOCATE. He comes in power and we experience Him through things like supernatural peace, through tongues, through miraculous healings, through words of wisdom and discernment.
We get to experience the fruit of His presence; but it isn’t only for our benefit — the purpose of the baptism is to empower us to be a living testimony so that people turn to Jesus and BE SAVED. God wants to equip you to be an effective witness – Your life is meant to reveal God’s glory!!!
1 Timothy 2:4 and 2 Peter 3:9 tell us that God desires ALL PEOPLE come to the saving knowledge of God. He desires that everyone be SAVED.
1 Timothy 2:4 “… who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth…”
All of us have a part to play in God’s plan. Not that people are saved through us, not that the baptism of the Spirit secures salvation, but rather that through the power of the Spirit at work in us, we all are equipped to bring the good news of salvation through blood of Jesus which he poured out for all.