LESSON ONE

The Coming of The Spirit

ACTS 2:1-8, 38-42

KEY VERSES: “Then peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of JESUS CHRIST for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT” (Acts 2:38).

First of all, there have been many commentaries written on the Book of Acts and its importance to the world. Some have constituted it as the “Acts of the Apostles” and their establishment and development of the church. However, I agree with another perspective that it could very well be called the ‘Acts of THE HOLY SPIRIT.” Especially since it is without a doubt the manifestation or unfolding dialogue of the WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT through the lives of GOD’S PEOPLE and GOD’S CHURCH in the first century after CHRIST.

Ron Herrod in his Introduction to Acts, calls it “the story of the upsetting of the world,” as pointed out in Acts 17:6. “No movement,” he says, “has ever had so dramatic an impact on every level of society as has the propagation of the Christian Gospel.” He goes on to point out how, basically, it is the story of how GOD took very small groups of “simple, poor, and mostly uneducated folks and shook their world for CHRIST, turning the Roman Empire upside down.” They withstood having to travel an enormous amount of distances without the convenience of adequate transportation. They had to overcome LANGUAGE DIFFERENCES, as well as, “political alliances, and strong Satanic opposition.”

I love the way Herrod sums up his evaluation of the apostles. He says, “Humanly speaking, you could write over their assignment ‘Mission Impossible,’ and yet THE HOLY SPIRIT accomplished through them WHAT GOD HAD GIVEN THEM TO DO.”

As this story begins, we find the apostles assembled together and being commanded by JESUS “To wait for the PROMISE OF THE FATHER, ‘which...you have heard from ME; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with THE HOLY SPIRIT not many days from now’” (Acts 1:4-5). It is then that JESUS told them, “you shall receive POWER when THE HOLY SPIRIT has come upon you; and YOU WILL BE WITNESSES TO ME in Jerusalem and in Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (1:8).

In the next four lessons, we will examine how GOD fulfilled through the apostles what HE had PROMISED, through JESUS CHRIST, by sending the Gospel message to Jerusalem. However, in this lesson, we begin with the Coming of THE HOLY SPIRIT, and the crowd’s response to IT, as well as, the after effects of his Sermon (vv.38-42).

1. THE VOICE OF GOD MANIFESTED (Acts 2:1-4)

As we begin this particular spiritual episode, we find the apostles, after adding Matthias to the eleven (Acts 1:26), on the Day of Pentecost “all with one accord in one place.” Then the text says the entire house became filled with “a sound from Heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind” (2:1-2). One writer says that it was for the ear, not the eye. Therefore, they were able to hear a sound as of a hurricane, without the physical power that accompanies it.

This was not an occasion for GOD to show HIS PHYSICAL POWER, but HIS SPIRITUAL POWER with which HE wanted to infix the apostle. This was not a destructive force, but a constructive force. This was not for tearing down, but for building up. This was not something to be seen, but something to be ‘heard.’ It was now time for the disciples to carry out their MISSION of spreading the Gospel that JESUS had told them about earlier (1:8), and GOD had to give them the POWER that was PROMISED, “when THE HOLY SPIRIT has come upon you.”

GOD does not give a MISSION that HE does not empower and equip us to undertake. Without his “POWER,” we are incapable of carrying out our MISSION. While we know by JESUS’ decree that this “POWER” is made manifest through THE HOLY SPIRIT, it may be puzzling why it came as a “SOUND” rather than via a physical ENTITY.

I believe that Paul offers a possible bit of a solution to the puzzle in his letter to the Roman Church, in Roman 10:17, “Faith come by hearing, and hearing by THE WORD OF GOD.” Thus, the apostles had to be “EMPOWERED” with THE WORD OF GOD through the LIFE, TEACHINGS, AND MINISTRY OF JESUS. The MISSION required them to spread the Gospel “to the end of the earth,” which means many different languages or “voices.” Therefore, in order to be “heard” and “understood” by all they encountered, there had to be some form of ‘universality’ or ‘commonality’ in speech (voice). That ‘commonality/universality’ in speech is made manifest or revealed through THE HOLY SPIRIT.

For I propose that THE HOLY SPIRIT is simply “THE VOICE OF GOD.” This impartation of THE HOLY SPIRIT (THE VOICE OF GOD) is what took place in verses 3 and 4 when, “there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with THE HOLY SPIRIT and began to speak with ‘other tongues, AS THE HOLY SPIRIT GAVE THEM UTTERANCE.”

This, I believe, means that they lost ‘their voice’ or speech and TOOK ON THE SPEECH OR “VOICE OF GOD, the only common thread between barriers. If the apostles tried to MINISTER with their own ‘voice’ to people of ‘many voices.’ I doubt very seriously if they would have been ‘heard’ by all. But when they speak with “THE VOICE OF GOD,” then those “in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” will be able to “HEAR” and UNDERSTAND THEM.

2. A MESSAGE FROM THE VOICE OF GOD (vv.5-8)

The events that took place following the “SOUND” of “THE VOICE OF GOD,” were as perplexing as they were revealing. For we find that even though “there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven,” they were all “confused because everyone ‘heard them’ (the apostles) speak in his own language. “They were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, ‘Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each on his own language in which he were born?” (vv.6-8) They further stated the key to the mystery, “we hear them speaking in our own tongue THE WONDERFUL WORKS OF GOD” (V.11). Not only were that “all amazed and perplexed” (v.12), but also “others mocking said, ‘they are full of new wine” (v.13).

The people could not understand that the apostles were no longer about their own business, but that they were now “EMPOWERED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT (THE VOICE OF GOD)” and, thus now about HIS BUSINESS of “SOUNDING” HIS MESSAGE of HIS GOODNESS, HIS MERCY, and SALVATION FOR ALL! Therefore, they could no longer speak with their natural ‘voice’ (language), for there would be barriers too immense to overcome to be understood “by all.” The “SOUND” emanating from them had to be ‘heard’ by everyone, in every place, in their own language.

To emphasize this point, GOD used Peter to “VOICE HIS MESSAGE” that the apostles were “not drunk,” as they proposed, but that HIS MESSAGE THROUGH THE PROPHET JOEL EXPLAINED WHAT WAS TAKING PLACE BEFORE THEM (vv.14-37). GOD said through Joel in Chapter 2:28, “…it would come to pass in the last days…that I will pour out MY SPIRIT on all flesh…”

Peter then proceeded to preach to the gathering THE GOOD NEWS OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS OF NAZARETH, “THE FIRST “VOICE” OF GOD ON EARTH.

Not only are the BELIEVERS today supposed to hear “THE VOICE OF GOD,” we are supposed to, also, be “THE VOICE OF GOD.” We are to forsake our ‘own voice’ and agenda for the purpose of being “THE VOICE OF GOD” throughout this world, spreading GOOD NEWS OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST.

3. THE BAPTISM OF THE BELIEVERS (vv.38-42)

Just as GOD prepared and equipped the apostles for their MISSION, on the Day of Pentecost, HE, in turn, used them to prepare and equip those to whom they are sent. That is why, when those present heard “THE VOICE OF GOD,” our text says, “They were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Men and brethren, what shall we do?” (v.37) Then Peter was afforded an opportunity to share the SALVATION PLAN OF GOD FOR BELIEVERS. “Repent and let everyone of you be baptized in the NAME OF JESUS CHRIST for the remission of your sins; and you shall RECEIVE THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (THE VOICE OF GOD).” Peter says that the PROMISE is not only to you, but also, “to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many a THE LORD OUR GOD WILL CALL” (v.39). Therefore, “BE SAVED from this perverse generation” (v.40).

As sure as THE MESSAGE FROM THE VOICE OF GOD does not ‘return void’ today, neither did IT ‘return void’ when Peter spoke. For verse 41 says, “Then those who gladly received HIS WORD were baptized; and that day three thousand souls were added to them.”

If the BELIEVERS of today will allow their individual ‘voices’ to be replaced with “THE VOICE OF GOD” THROUGH the HOLY SPIRIT, we can be even more effective than Peter and all the apostles, whom “turned the world upside down.” We have the opportunity to turn the world back right side up, if we will only be THE VOICE OF GOD in the world today.

There are so many waiting to “hear” and “see.” The question is, “Will you spread THE GOOD NEWS OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST “to the end of the world? You can start by listening for and becoming THE VOICE OF GOD RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE!

THINK ABOUT IT!!!!

Spiritually Yours.

Rev. Chris Lowe, Sr. DD