Acts 2:1-44

Anchored and Moving Forward with a Message!

One of the things many Christians struggle with is sharing their faith!

A)Fear – not knowing what to say!

B)Well in our text today –We see a sermon that Peter preached – Why He believed in Jesus

1)Why they should too –

C)Great outline for Knowing what we believe and why.

Title of my message this morning is Anchored and moving forward with a message.

A)That is where we find the early Church here in the first 5 Chapters – of the book of Acts

B)Like a Rock Climber Anchors himself into a Mt in order to climb upward

1)The early Church was Anchored in their believe in Jesus – He was the Rez – Messiah – God in the flesh

C)Moving forward in the mission He had given them

1)Moving forward – Dependent upon Holy Spirit

2)Moving forward in Unity

3)Moving forward with a Message

D)V.1-13 Set up the scene that led to Peter’s sermon

V.1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

This is where we left the early Church last week in the upper room – one accord – praying – waiting

The Day of Pentecost was a Jewish feast held fifty days after Passover. 10’s of thousands pp packed Jerusalem

A) It was a time to celebrate the first fruits of the harvest.

B)At Passover, the first sheaf reaped from the barley harvest was presented to God.

C)But at Pentecost, the first fruits of the wheat harvest were given to God; therefore, Pentecost is called the day of first fruits (Numbers 28:26).

2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

This is the account when the apostles were Baptized in the Spirit.

A)Incredible event in the Life of the Church.

Point out some unique aspects of this.

B)Sound of a mighty rushing wind.

Not a wind but a sound of wind

C) Divided tongues as of Fire. – Not fire

D) v. 4 All filled – All spoke with tongues.

Things happening here – symbolic significance

A)Wind – John 3 Spirit is like the wind – can’t see wind – see affects – feel it

B)Holy Spirit – is that way – Can’t see the Spirit but you feel the spirit – see the affects of the Spirit.

C) Fire – Purifying aspect – Holy Spirit – purifies us

1)Convicts us of Sin.

D)Comment on the tongues in a minute

Note this: Every believer in Jesus needs to be baptized in the Holy Spirit.

A)But this was a Unique event. Singular occurrence {

Never repeated - People want to repeat this –

B)Red Sea – Part waters walk to Catalina –

Repeat Jericho – March around city hall

C) Reason for Uniqueness – 2 fold

1) Make a clear to disciples what was happening

2)To Draw a crowd –

Read V. 5-13

Note: V.8 Tongues speaking in their own Language –

A)People from all over the region

Parthians – Iran

Medes - Turkey

Elamites- Another part of Iran

Mesopotamia - Iraq

Judea – Southern Israel

Cappadocia- Turkey

Pontus – Also Turkey

Asia – Turkey

Phrygia – Turkey

Pamphylia - Turkey

Egypt – same as today

Libya- Northern Africa

Cyrene- Northern Africa

Rome- Italy -

Cretans – Crete

Arabs- Saudi Arabia

B)Quite a dispersion of People –

1)These simple Galileans { Hick folk} were speaking the languages of all these people.

C)What were they saying: Preaching a message?

Some think – but misconception – Look at v.11

They were speaking or declaring in our own language the wonderful works of God.

A)Now that is consistent with what Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 14 about tongues – Personal prayer language – Speak not to men but to God.

B)So tongues isn’t going to be a Thus says the Lord!

Praise – and that is what this was !

D)Online our Web Studies in 14 week Holy Spirit series { Part 12 Tongues and interpretation

So sound of a wind – Tongues – crowd: Asking what is going on how are they doing that? – Drunk

A)Peter responds{ Read v. 14-15

B)Now He is going to preach – an incredible sermon Great message –

1)why He believed in Jesus and why they should too!

C)Only 22 verses – Wow! – How could he do that ?

You preach for 45 minutes – Look at v. 40

1)Many other words – { Frame work

D)Three main things he focused on

#1 Because of fulfilled Prophecy! Read v. 16-17a

A)This event was prophesied –predicted by Joel – several hundred yrs ago.

B)The back bone of the Bible is fulfilled Prophecy

1)2500 prophecies in the Bible – 2000 fulfilled.

C)300 Prophecies concerning first coming of Jesus

His birth, where- virgin- life – death – Rez

1)Bible vs Greek Methology

Imagine if Christopher Columbus – when he discovered America said.

A)518 yrs from now in this land there is going to be a Black man from Chicago named Barak Obama - Pres

B)That would be impressive right – the Bible has 2500 such predications – 2000 come true

C)300 Prophecies about Jesus – Take 13

1)What is the Statistical probability of Jesus fulfilling 13 prophecies – 10 to power of 138 – Can’t comprehend

Now we have talked before about scientific studies

Silver dollar Texas – Balls in space

A)Here is a new one – Everyday – you go out to your car – Key ignition – turn spark

B)The Statistical probability of you going out one day and Key – Engine deep freeze –

1)Freezing over – 10 to the power of 80 – Never happened

C)Jesus fulfilling – 13 prophecies 10 to the power of 138 – Amazing

Peter says – Another example – another Prophecy

Last days – God said Pour out my Spirit on all flesh

A)There is going to be a coming of the HS that would be different from what they had ever seen before.

B)On all flesh doesn’t mean without exception – because God has not poured out his spirit on every living Creature.

C) On all flesh – means without distinction

1)No matter who you are – Social background

Color of your skin – Jew Gentile – rich – poor

Slave or Free – religious not religious

Available to all who believe! – Ask

Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. 18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants - I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy.

Everyone becomes a minister – Not just the Priesthood – Royal Priesthood.

Understood – all in this together.

19 I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness,

And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.

Here we see that Near and not yet aspect of Prophecy

Wed nites – Present – this is what is happening now

A)But there is an aspect of this that is future.

B)V. 20 The great and awesome day of the Lord – speaks of the 2^nd coming – of Christ

C)V.17 Last days - - they thought they were in the last days – they were wrong – NO

1)Last days started here at Pentecost

D)They were in the first of the last days –

1)We are in the last of the last days

‘And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved.'

A)Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved!

B)So simple – Calls – Lord help me – Lord I need a savior – Jesus come – Jesus help

#1 Proof of Fulfilled Prophecy

#2 Why I believe and why you should too

#2 Miracles performed Read v. 22-

A)Miracles attested by God – you saw –

B)Hard to argue with Lazarus – Widows Son

1)Feeding 5,000 – No trick

C)Our miracles – lives transformed

1)Power of your testimony

D)Jesus has done for you – Delivered you from addictions – Healed marriage.

#2 Miracles Performed –

#3 The Grave is empty{ Rd 24-36

A)Peter preaches what is the Cornerstone of Christianity – Death & Rez of Jesus

B)Died for our Sins – Redeem – Ranson

1)Rose to Prove who He was –

C)Make our faith effective!

1)Without Rez – Vain –

Note the response Acts 2:37

“Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart,

Romans 1:16

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.”

Power in the message:

A)Post man – delivers – Publishers ….. Check

B)Worth and weight in the Check - Just needs to be cashed –

1)Worth and Wait – Power to save and transform anyone who believes –

So they were cut to the heart -and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?"

C)Do Vs Done! { There is a Response

38 Then Peter said to them,"Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call."

40 And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, "Be saved from this perverse generation."

Responding to the question, “What shall we do?”

A)Peter gave them something to do.

B)This means that we must do something to be saved, we must do something to follow Jesus; it doesn’t just “happen.”

C)The first thing Peter told them to do is repent.

1)To repent does not mean to feel sorry, but it means to change one’s mind or direction –

D)they had thought a certain way about Jesus before! (considered Him worthy of crucifixion),

1)now they must turn around their thinking, embracing Him as Lord and Messiah.

E)Repent sounds like such a harsh word in the mouths of many preachers and in the ears of many listeners, but it is an essential aspect of the gospel.

F)Repent has been rightly called “the first word of the gospel.”

When John the Baptist preached, he said Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand! (Matthew 3:2).

A)When Jesus began to preach, He said Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Matthew 4:17).

B)Now when Peter begins to preach, he starts with repent!

C)Repentance must never be thought of as something we must do before we can come back to God.

1) Repentance describes what coming to God is.

D)Change of mind about our sin – Turn from Sin and turn to God. Hearts -

 In this sense, repent is a word of great hope.

A) It says “You don’t have to continue the way you’ve been going, you can turn to God,” something many people desperately want.{ He will receive you

B)The second thing Peter says they must do is be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, as an outward expression of their belief and complete trust in Him.

C)Baptism made a clear statement. In that day, Jews were not commonly baptized, only Gentiles who wanted to become Jews were baptized

D)For these Jewish men & women to be baptized showed just how strongly they felt they needed Jesus.

Read V. 41-44 -

You can be added today –

Prophecy fulfilled

Miracles performed

The Grave is empty –

Response: